A madman's innocence
by Serdancos
Summary: Nelo Hivaarr is an unusually gifted child, so the Jedi take him into the Order. What they did not know is that his thirst for knowledge and powers will bring him into contact with the dark side more than once. He will often be at odds with the Council. Doing what is right or what he is told? His adventures will take him through the waning years of the Republic. OC/OC Dark and Gray.
1. Chapter 1-2

**Chapter 1:** _ **A gift or a curse?**_

Nelo Hivaarr. Born on Alderaan into the family ofmerchant captain Tuskal Hivaarr and lieutenant of the naval security forces, Ella Hivaarr, he was uniquely gifted in the Force. This human child with deep, contemplating, purple eyes, red hair, fair complexion had manifested his talent at an early age. He was only two years old when he started levitating objects in his room, which included his bed, his closet and the nearby table, one by one and soon after, all of them at once. When his parents found out about this, they decided to hide his talents and instead tried to raise him as a normal child. However, they were only partially succesful, as they young boy, just like another force-sensitive, was a fast learner; in his case, he practically abosorbed any sort of knowledge akin to a buffer, prompting his parents to hire personal teachers of higher and higher qualification, much to their annoyance. Not too long after he turned four years old, he even took his father's ship for a joyride, earning himself a beating and was grounded for two full weeks, locked in his room. With regard to weapons, he built himself a blaster from all sorts of leftover parts that he found scattered around his house. Setting it on stun, he played with it for a while, until his mother came to check on him. Scared by her unexpected appearence, he shot her. His father, having witnessed the whole scene, barged in the room, disarming Nelo and slapping him hard.

Feeling cornered and threatened, he used the Force to push his father into a nearby wall, hitting him so hard that bone-crushing sounds could be heard.

The five year old child that was Nelo Hivaarr couldn't take it anymore and did one of the most reckless things one may think of. He packed as many stuff as he was able to: food, clothing, his makeshift blaster, a map of Alderaan's port cities and some credits, leaving a note behind, begging his parents to forgive him for everything he put them through and not seek him.

Alone and afraid, but not looking back, as it would have been to painful, he lived his self imposed exile in an unusually dangerous way. Going from city to city, doing small jobs, like carrying messages and crates, smuggling weapons parts and illegal credits, using his powers to aid others in gambling, the like. That was why people wanted to kidnapp him, either for his skills, or for a potential ransom. Other times, he was subjected to pickpocketing attempts and violence. Imagine their faces when he either revealed his now upgraded, deadly blaster or force-pushed them into walls, on the ground, or over the edge of platforms. Luckily enough, such incidents happened at night, so the local police wasn't able to track him down or charge him for anything.

Four days before he would have turned six years old- and celebrate that moment in a tent on the edge of the market town of Aisilio II- something unexpected took place. A hooded figure, a ... zabrak man in his late thirties, by the looks of it, approached him. Naturally, Nelo went for his blaster and aimed it at him, but the stranger seemed... amused? Unimpressed? He couldn't really tell, but he wasn't stopping.

When the hooded figure was less than a meter in front of him, Nelo retorted to his incredibly strong force push, sending the zabrak seven meters aback.

" Keep away, if you don't wanna end up like the others!" he warned him with his childish, yet menacing voice.

There was no one else around them that night, in that shady part of the town. Streets were empty, quiet, the wind had stopped blowing and the air was chillier than usual. Nelo would have liked to enjoy the atmosphere of the cozy tent that he had built himself, but it seemed like fate had other plans. Why wouldn't the universe leave him alone, at peace, for once?

The zabrak man, visibly impressed, did not relent. Instead, he approached the boy again, while he finally answered the human's silent question:

" You may not believe it, but it was you that called out to me, even if you didn't realise it!" he spoke with a friendly, low pitched voice.

" I didn't call for you! If anything, I implored fate to give me peace for a while, not any more nuisances like you!" the boy answered with an unusually agressive tone.

" That's just it, young one!..." the zabrak said as he pulled Nelo's blaster out of his hands and pocketed it.

" HEY! That's mine! Give it back!" the boy shouted, not realising that he had a jedi in front of him.

" The Force- or fate, as you've called It-, through it, you have called for help in controlling your powers and finding a purpose for them and yourself; it's no use denying it! I have answered that call and have decided to take you to the Jedi Temple!"

" What's a _jedi_?" Nelo asked with a suspicious tone, eyes still on the blaster.

" The Jedi Order is a group, call it an organisation, or people gathered from all parts of the galaxy, that serve the Light side of the Force, the entity you often regard as fate. By abiding to a strict code and deeply rooted traditions, we learn how to detach ourselves from our feeling, thus mastering our powers and using them for the greater good. We become attuned to the will of the universe!"

"... aaand, where do I fit in that cheme of yours?" Nelo asked pessimisticly.

He never had a true purpose in life, truth be told. He lived for himself, caring only for his well being, his only concern being getting past each day. He tried making friends, but, between his parents's jobs and his freaky Force powers, he didn't manage to bond with anyone at all. Even if he felt content with his lonely life, he yearned for something more. So, perhaps this jedi in front of him really did say the truth, about being called here by him.

The zabrak sat down, close to Nelo and watched him as he was insistantly looking for an answer to his daily problems over his last months, if noyt years. Finally, the jedi spoke:

" My name is Krav Erladin! i am a jedi Knight serving the Gallactic Republic and the Order by searching out force-sensitive children like you. So, to answer your question, Nelo Hivaarr, you would be taken to the Jedi Temple, trained as a youngling for your first years. After that, you would become a padawan and shall be appointed a master to guide you through the mysteries of the Force and hone your battle and mental skills."

After some more talking, which extended up until dawn, Nelo Hivaarr accepted master Erladin's proposal of joining the Order. He was brought before the High Council of the Jedi, which was composed of: Master Yoda, the green, gremlin like creature that was the wisest and oldest of jedis; Mace Windu, his second in command, a severe, black skinned man that must have had a superiority issue, Masters Plo Koon, Saese Tiin, Agen Kolar, Ki-Adi-Mundi, Kit Fisto, Shaak Ti and Obi Wan Kenobi. As strange as it may seem, the tenth place was empty.

They tested him in various ways. He had to lift many small components of a machine- all at once- and assemble it, without dropping even a piece. After that, he had to sense hidden panels scattered all over the room and use the force to push them in a certain order; again, nothing too difficult. Some time later, after finishing another phyisical test by force jumping over hologram obstacles, he saw that every one of these masters were carrying a strange bar shaped object, that was probably a weapon. Intrigued, he used the force to pull master Kenobi's lightsaber from its belt support. Quickly inspecting the strange weapon, he unwittingly activatd ot by pressing a button and, with a hissing sound, ocean blue light filled the now silent room. Both scared and curious, Nelo touched the blue plasma with his left hand before anyone was able to stop him. He let out a scream of pain and dropped the lightsaber on the ground.

Quickly grabbing his hand, master Yoda inspected it, only to find out that it was unharmed, save for a minor scar two inches long on Nelo's palm.

" Intriguing, this new situation, is! Your powers, youngling, many of our students's, outweigh! Fast, instinctive, healing powers, you have!" he said with his usual backward talking habit, as he went back to his seat.

It was master Windu's turn:

" I also sensed a strong aura surrounding your palm, as it made contact with the blade. Care to explain that?" he asked, accusatory.

The soon to be six year old was confused. He didn't know how or what to answer. He was afraid of the severe, brown coloured bald man talking down on him. His gaze seemed to be piercing his heart, his soul even...

" Master Windu, please, let's not make this seem like a judicial trial!" Obi Wan Kenobi interrupted.

" It wasn't an accusatory tone, master Kenobi! This youngling here has powers that shoudln't have surfaced into any other force-sensitive! We must discover their nature, their origin and guide those powers towards the better future of the galaxy!"

They started debating as to how to approach this issue. Nelo Hivaarr, as they've just witnessed, was able to use force push, force pull, force powered jumps and sense hidden objects of interest around him. Unusual for his age- without proper training- but not impossible. Obi Wan's padawan, Anakin Skywalker, 10 year old, had manifested similar skill when put on his padawan trials.

But the fact remained that Nelo Hivaarr posessed a special power, one that could both protect and heal him, even subconciously.

Deciding that he would make a great addition to the Jedi Order, the Council took him in and appointed his rescuer and protector, jedi knight Krav Erladin, as his master. The latter would be the one to teach him what being a jedi meant, the Code, the galaxy's history and so on, and, most importantly, guide him in his use of the Force( while also monitoring him on behalf of the Council).

The first two years have been hard on Nelo. He was too smart for his own good, too superior to his peers. He knew most, if not all the lessons that were being taught in class beforehand. His ego was only tempered by his thirst for knowledge, books and lectures of all kind. This had prompted his master, Erladin, to take him under his personal care and continue his education through private classes, a privilege only a few other students might have received.

" Control your feelings Nelo!" Erladin said, as they were once meditating. " Your anger must go away; push it down into the deepest parts of your being and seal it with kindness and fairness!"

Nelo Hivaarr had some difficulty in learning how to manage his emotions. His master told him that he neeeded to let go of his darker tendencies, which included anger, resentment, remorse, fear, regret, thirst for revenge, pride and attachment. Love was as dangerous to a jedi as was hate or fear, for passion was a one way ticket to the dark side, the guidance of the sith. Compassion was the way of the jedi.

He took in deep breaths. With each one of them, he was abandoning his emotions, one by one, and reaching for inner balance.

" When you're at ease with yourself, you'll be at ease with everyone around you; with creation and life itself! Be always- and I emphasize- ALWAYS, careful of the Dark Side. Its temptations span far and wide and don many masks, even the mask of apparent goodness. Watch it!"

" But master, I have a question!" Nelo said with his eyes closed, still maintaining concentration.

Master Erladin watched him with a hint of pride in his eyes. His padawan often brought up the most peculiar of issues- many of them regarding the Force and its users and uses- so he was positive that he will have a hard time ahead of him.

" Ask away, my padawan! What is on your mind?"

" I was thinking. What happens if a jedi makes use of passion- of the Dark Side- to save those around him?"

The zabrak jedi knight went silent for a few moments. He didn't expect this question until perhaps later, but still, he was responsible for the boy's education and would rather have him insistently ask questions about anything, than leaving him open to foreign and potentially dangerous influences.

" Let's see... you are one of the most promising students and have delved into any kind of archives you were allowed to. Master librarian Jocasta Nu told me of how you would pester her to let you read practically anything. So I'll ask you instead. What do you think?"

The boy opened his eyes and met his master's gaze with serenity in them.

" I think some of the rules here are too strict. Based on what I've seen in my lectures, there have been a number of so-called " gray jedi", that have used their connection to the dark side for the greater good, but not losing themselves in it. What harm can come out of that?"

That's one thing Erladin knew he'd be mentioning. He had to ponder his next words carefully.

" Have you ever wondered why they have been expelled from the Jedi Order? The answer is both simple and complicated, as many things in life are, my dear padawan! Gray Jedi walk a thin line between the two opposing sides of the Force. One miscalculation on their part could throw them eitherway- usually to the dark side. Also, there is a high possibility that they might one day become dark jedi – fallen justice bringers that harbor nothing beyond their self interest."

Nelo Hivaarr was taken aback by the explaination and the other details that his masters later reminded him of.

 **Chapter 2:** _ **A show of skill and surprises**_

Two more years would have to pass, before master Erladin deemed him ready for constructing his very own lightsaber. He would have to find parts of his own choice, plus a lightsaber crystal to match his character. There were plenty of blueprints and instructions in the giant library, so finding what he required didn't seem that difficult.

Practically, it wasn't as easy. Accompanied by his master, Nelo scoured the marketplaces on Coruscant, looking for metal and plastic components, plus the necessary circuitry. It took them two full days of rummaging through all sorts of market stalls, shops and what not, but they were succesful. Then came the tricky part. Being stubborn and a bit of a snob, Nelo had chosen the a rare colour for his lightsaber: golden yellow, despite the Council's reluctance about the idea. Yellow was the colour used by the Temple Guards and only a handful of other jedis, but the boy had made up his mind. He would go to Ruusan and take one of the crystals that were being mined out of there. Expensive and rare, Ruusan crystals provided the jedi a little help in concentrating his powers, as they were more attuned to his nature and aura than standard Kyber crystals. Again, it took him a long time to convince the Council to let him go there, but it finally worked. He returned nine days later, succesful in his search.

With everything in his posession, he sat alone in his room, parts spread all over the floor. Quieting his emotions and lowering his heartbeat rate, he let the Force guide him into building his Praetor- shaped lightsaber. After a few unsuccesful tries, he was able to finish the process. The completed lightsaber lay in front of him, ready to be used.

Grabbing it cautiausly, Nelo pressed the button and, with a *hiss*, the golden plasma light appeared. He gave it a few swings, starting to accommodate with its weight and grip. By accident, he cut through his bedside table, earning himself a scolding from his master.

On the other hand, this recent achievement earned him Krav Erladin's gratitude. His master started teaching him the seven lightsaber battle forms:

" By getting accustomed with each one of them, it will be easier for you to choose which form best suits you. Every jedi makes his own choice and usually sticks by it. Remember that the course of a battle may suffer unpredictable changes. Thus, you must prove to be unpredictable, adaptable, as well!"

They continued to train for the next two months, interchanging all the seven forms, until Nelo settled on Form IV, Ataru- an offensive, even acrobatic battle form- and Form VII, Vaapad- a form that included tapping into your own traces of dark side energy and even your enemy's. Why he'd chosen those paritcular forms was anyone's guess. Master Windu was unsettled some would say annoyed- by this development, but master Yoda had taken a liking in this strange padawan and thus, Mace had to relent. Master Yoda spoke with the promising student:

" Some time since you came here, has passed!" he chuckled.

" Four years, master Yoda... almost half my life!" Nelo added jokingly, smiling at his superior in wisdom and rank.

" Young, you are, but talented as well. The time has come, your battle prowess, one of us, will test!"

The room went silent right after that. The Council members took a minute to make their choice. Nelo was secretly hoping that he would cross sabers with Master Windu or at least Master Yoda. That way he'll prove his worth to the highest ranking jedis and earn a respected place amongst them, if not now, then later.

Master Yoda shook him out of his thoughts with his almost funny- but, nonetheless wise- gremlin voice:

" An understanding, we have reached! Master Windu, your adversary will be!"

 _Later, in the Jedi Temple's training arena..._

Nelo Hivaarr and Master Windu force jumped into the arena. For the two thousand or so spectators of all ages and ranks( younglings, padawans, knights and masters), it was a sight to see.

The arena resembled an amphitheatre, albeit a giant one, sturdy, specifically built to resist the ferocity of force-fueled duels. Located beneath the Jedi Temple, it was made out of a special, brownish-greyish stone, decorated with statues of former jedi masters and prodigies. Most of the Jedi had been trained or tested in this place on multiple occasions during their lifetime, so it wasn't unknown to them.

Also, the two opposing duelists were by now well known around there: Master Mace Windu, Yoda's former apprentice and now second-in-command, strong, determined, creative, to say but a few of his qualities and, most importantly, the creator of Form VII, Vaapad, of which he was the most experienced user alive; Nelo Hivaarr, jedi knight Krav Erladin's padawan. Smart, witted, avid for knowledge- bookworm, by some- student, that posessed some kind of freaky force powers that the Council had taken an interest in. Plus, he had a bright yellow lightsaber, something that annoyed the usually stone-like Temple Guardians.

" Let Nelo Hivaarr's trial begin!" Master Kenobi announced over the speaker.

And, with that, the battle began!

Master Windu lit his lightsaber and proceeded to attack his adversary with ferocious, yet calculated strikes. Nelo Hivaarr could only barely defend himself against that. He had resorted to gripping his lightaber with both hands for added strenght. Windu made for his head, his torso, his hands, then doubled back and used force speed to continue the attack, almost in a mathematical order. The witty padawan took notice of that and retaliated when the master jedi wasn't expecting.

Forced into defence by the boy's Form IV Ataru attacks, Windu started to retreat, using his Vaapad to siphon both his small dark side sparks and Nelo's still uncontrollable Force energy. That strategy was paying off, as Windu wasn't tired anymore, as opposed to his adversary, who was beginning to feel winded.

Back in the Council's tribune, Master Ki-Adi-Mundi asked his fellow masters:

" Do you think it is over? Padawan Hivaarr has resisted honourably, but it appears he will collapse in short time!"

" Master Mundi has a point there!" Agen Kolar, the zabrak jedi master answered. " Windu is using his Vaapad now, so it's practically over!"

Master Obi Wan Kenobi did not mind them. He had retreated into the left corner of the tribune and was talking with his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, whom he had brought with him to observe the duel.

" Be mindful, Anakin, for you have just completed your lightsaber; and are four years older than him! Maybe you'll pick up a thing or two from Erladin's padawan!" he said with a smirk that " The Chosen One" returned.

" Don't you worry master! I'd wipe the floor with him some other time, provided that Master Windu doesn't hurt him too badly!"

" I, for one, believe that this Nelo Hivaarr is more than he lets us see! Things are bound to get interesting, so be mindul and watch!"

" Yes master!" Anakin replied, slightly bowing his head and turning to the battle scene.

As if on cue with Kenobi's words, Nelo stopped his offence and replaced it with a Form V Shien, especially made for defence and counterattack. Windu saw that and switched to acrobatic, Form IV Ataru strikes, repeatedly slashing at his opponent.

Nelo began to feel the strain on his body. His knees and feet were hurting from the sudden jumps and stances that he had to take. Not to mention his arms and hands. Luckily, his ego and determination kept him from collapsing.

" Now, if only I could find a way to get past his guard..." he thought and then searched his mind for one of the lectures about offence that he had read, all the while evading Windu's menacing purple saber.

Suddenly, he jumped back a few meters. He had the answer to his problem. Concentrating the Force powers inside his body, he coated himself with a green, protective layer, followed by a blue one. Right then, he looked like he was clad in an aquamarine armor. The spectators were left speechless. So were the masters; Anakin as well.

Nelo Hivaarr sped up to Windu's position, switching to Vaapad this time. Every slash he made was quicker, stronger than the other and he felt the energy coming back to him, siphoned from his adversary.

To his horror, Windu found out that his force pushes, force pulls and any other force powered strikes that he was using were being rapidly abosrbed by the padawan, who was getting bolder and bolder. One miscalculation and Windu's robe was cut to pieces. Discarding it, the master jedi jumped back a few meters.

The two Vaapad practitioners clashed yet again, offering a beautiful spectacle of lightsaber skill, bright lights and multicoloured sparks, that could be seen from the distance. They went at it for a good half an hour, not one of them giving way to the other.

" Impressive, youngling, but you have much to learn!" Mace Windu told him as he extinguished his lightsaber. Not a second later, he used both hands to draw in a large amount of energy from his body, channeling it into a giant Force Push.

The attack was vicious, mainly because no one expected this kind of tactic. That much energy overloaded Nelo's already pushed over-the-limit body. It filled him with more energy than he could possibly have handled, sending him crashing into a nearby wall. Master Windu then assumed a meditative stance and waited.

 _Five minutes later_

Nelo felt his body ache like never before. It was as if he had been hit by a planet. His torso, his neck, his legs, hands and pretty much everything else was twitching uncontrolably, as if struck by lightning.

" AUUUUU! Stang it! This h-h-hurtssss as h-he-lll!" he cursed, trying to get up. He gathered himself out of the rubble and tried to walk out, only to fail miserably by falling flat on his stomach, causing more pain. He looked up. Windu was just sitting there like a boss, in the middle of the arena, just meditating and waiting for Yoda to announce him as the winner.

" Not... in... a... thousand years!" Hivaarr said and right there and then, his right eye sparked yellow for a moment, before returning to its usual purple colour. It was strange, but he could feel his body slowly regenerate. His freaky healing powers kicked in.

However, he could see that, in the distance, Master Yoda was coming to the Podium to end the fight and announce the victor; he couldn't afford to wait.

Gathereing himself up yet again, he grabbed his lightsaber and lit it. With one last effort, he made a giant leap at Windu, cathcing him off guard. The audience gasped in amazement. He shouldn't have been able to do such a feat, not with the damage he previously took.

The Vaapad master was thankful to the Force for the silent warning it gave him. That's how he was able to parry that which appeared to be a last ditch attack on behalf of Erladin's padawan. Nelo Hivaarr's moves were increasingly sluggish, up to( or, rather, down to) the point that he was missing his target. Finally, the boy collapsed from exhaustion, not dropping his lightsaber though.

Windu looked at him carefully and waited a minute before he exhaled, relieved that it was over. He extinguished his own lightsaber and gave Master Yoda the signal. The latter nodded his head in agreement, before motioning to the message board. He pressed a few buttons, calling for the healers and directing them to the arena to tend to the wounded and exhausted padawan.

The other master jedis started discussing the duel, making plenty of remarks and underlining key facts. Jedi Knight KRav Erladin was quiet. He wondered why they didn't feel that one moment of dark side energy surge in his padawan. He most certiainly felt it and was worried because of it. The dark side was very tempting. It could take hold of someone when he was least expecting it. It fed on misguided feelings: ambition, anger, such as those that he felt growing in his student ever since the battle began, growing exponentially before and during that last strike. They would talk about that later, when Nelo would be feeling better.

Back in the arena, the healers treated Nelo's urgent injuries and infused his body with small amounts of force energy. Surprisingly yet again, the blue layer coated Hivaarr, absorbind more and more energy. A mere five minutes later, Nelo's hands were moving, if only slightly. A couple more minutes went by and then he opened his eyes, only to meet Mace Windu's severe gaze. He frowned. Obviously, he lost. He was another loser to add to the counter.

It was then that Master Yoda, whom he had not noticed until now, move from beside his makeshift hover-bed and hit him with his cane, bringing more pain to his still hurting right knee.

" Hmmph! One of our most promising students, you are! Still, much discipline, you have to learn!"

" You would make a powerful jedi knight soon!" Master Windu assured him and then raised him to his feet.

" Thank you, master!" he answered with a disappointed tone, avoiding his glare. Just then, he felt his body shatter. It was only a sensation, albeit a strange one. The healers helped him stand.

" This duel, over is! Master Windu and padawan Hivaarr a promising show of skill, offered you, have!"

The audience got up and started to applaud them. Nelo could hear them and his spirits were finally lifted. Watching each and every one of the spectators, he couldn't help but feel that he finally belonged to some place; that those around him accepted him and recognized his efforts. And, with that, he let his head fall backwards. He smiled as he was embraced by the comfort that a well earned sleep was offering.


	2. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:** _ **Aftermath and a controversy**_

 _Two days after the renowned duel between Mace Windu and Nelo Hivaarr._

Nelo Hivaarr was finally awake. Carefully tilting his head to the side, he found out that he was in his own room, on his bed, with no one else around to bother him. He exhaled. A small surge of pain in the chest. His body was still recovering from the strain he put it through. He swinged his legs to the side of the bed, trying to get up.

Bad move! Both legs gave in, still weak and not used to receive that much pressure. He was only ten years old, he reminded himself. Kids his age were frequenting schools, playing holo-games or were engaged in other trivial, not life threatening activities. Speaking of which... he would really like to take his blaster to a shooting range and take his mind off of things.

He growled, visibly annoyed that his body was too battered to walk. Concentrating his Force powers, he tried to use his ( by now-trademark) healing ability to mitigate the damage. Only partially succesful, he had to resort to using some sort of cane that the medical team had left in his room. Slowly, but surely, he went for the door, which he then opened to find master Erladin on the other side, vivibly displeased. Why? He didn't know.

" Hello master! I just woke up and felt like taking a walk around the Temple to get back in shape... Is there something amiss?" Nelo asked with his innocent, intelligent tone.

" Not now, later!" his master trailed him off. " Let's just walk around and BE CAREFUL!" he added, emphasizing the last word.

Nelo grasped the hidden meaning behind his words. His master had felt that strange energy surge through him in his duel with Mace Windu as well. For the first time in the last three months since they last used their master-apprentice bond, Erladin sent him a mental message.

" _Do not let what happened back there ever repeat! Beware of the dark side, for once you've set upon its path, forever it will dominate your destiny!"_

Nelo Hivaarr was pretty much scared right then. Not just because he brushed the dark side for a moment, but also because the Council might banish him, or worse, execute him for this crime! The jedi laws were strict on the likes of gray and dark jedi!

Erladin put a reassuring hand on his padawan's right shoulder. He would teach him how to master his potentially chaotic powers, after his body would recover from the stress of the recent duel.

For the next four weeks, Nelo was given only easy assignments, such as cleaning rooms, arranging books and holo-pads in the library, playing courier and meditating, plus a strict set of physical and mental exercises. During this time, his master didn't show up, as he was sent on various missions, both on Corruscant and off world.

One day, as he was making his way to the temple's best meditating spot- the area around the ancient tree that was rumored to grant visions-, he bumped into Anakin Skywalker, master Obi Wan Kenobi's apprentice. Having met and attended courses alongside him a few times, he found the four years older boy quite annoying, given his status as " The Chosen One". He was supposed to be that would bring balance to the Force; banish evil and the dark side. Arrogant and powerful, only tempered by his loyalty to his very few friends and the Order, at least that's what Nelo heard about him. Ever since Hivaarr was brought into the Temple, there has been minimal interaction between him and Skywalker.

" Nelo!" Skywalker greeted him with his somewhat cocky tone. " Haven't seen you in a while. What have you been up to, gladiator?"

Nelo hated that nickname. Other padawans coined it soon after his famous duel with Windu and have been actively using it ever since; brats.

" Hello, Anakin!" he answered, shaking his hand. " I've been taking it easy, you know? After that spectacle I've offered you all, my body got overloaded and nearly fell apart, literally!"

" Nah, you're looking fine, if you ask me!"

" If I was to take your opinion for granted..."

" What's that supposed to mean?" Anakin asked, getting his hand over his smaller colleague's shoulder. " Wouldn't hurt dropping that snobish, smartass atitude of yours!" he added with a contagious laugh that even the usually poker-faced 10 year old couldn't resist.

" Not until you stop walking around as if you owned the place, bolder than rest! Your female colleagues just won't keep their eyes off you! I've heard that some of them plan to kidnapp you for a secret date, so watch your hide, boss-man!"

" Ha-ha-ha! I don't get what's so funny aout my good looks and atitude, but I should watch out. Wouldn't want the Council to kick me out, now would I?" he added with a hint of irony.

Hivaarr's heart skipped a beat, before it returned to normal. So master Erladin wasn't the only one who knew that he brushed with the dark side for a moment. Could be a bad joke on Skywalker's part, though. They went on to talk about all sorts of subjects, as they made their way to the ancient tree.

The place was empty, save for the two of them. The tree and its surroundings were radiating an aura of peacefullness that managed to calm Nelo's troubled thoughts. Skywalker must have felt the same, he thought, since his incessent bickering had stopped.

After an hour of being in comunion with the Force, Nelo suddenly felt smething trying to pierce his chest. It lasted for maybe two seconds, but it was breathtakingly painful. He got up on his own, eyes closed and teeth gritting from the pain. He made for the stairs, but, instead, he headed for the tree, which he collided with.

A tidal wave of images flushed him over, mentally speaking. Somewhere on a foreing planet... a burning military base... white armored soldiers running and screaming, being shot at by blaster wielding driods... his master... engaging them and defeating them with ease... a stranger, bigger robot arrives, equipped with- those couldn't be-... lightsabers!?

" Hey! You okay?" Anakin's voice shook him from his strange vision. Nelo Hivaarr opened his eyes and looked around himself,fear visible on his face. The previously peaceful place had turned ino an eerie, creepy one. He had to get out of there!

" I have to get back to my room! Care to accompany me?"

" R...right?! I don't know what's gotten into you, but you better get over it! Master Obi Wan always said that controlling your emotions is the most difficult, but ultimately rewarding effort of a jedi!" Anakin answered him.

Nelo ignored his wisdom-full words- probably because Skywalker had a problem in abiding by them himself-. Instead, he concentrated on that strange wisdom he received. Nothing made sense. Funny enough, those were the exact words of anyone " blessed" in such a way. IF the Force was trying to tell him something important, it would have to try harder. Nowhere in his lectures had he met any ot those soldiers or droids, let alone that strange thing, robot, cyborg, whatever it was, with its four lightsabers.

His dreams were peaceful, at least. For the next two months, nothing notable happened, save for the fact that he became friends with Anakin Skywalker. Master Kenobi found it funny, since two persons with bigger egos than their heads would usually be adversaries or at least rivals.

More than anything else, Nelo was thinking about his birthday, that was just eight days away. It somehow coincided with the third day after he was welcomed into the Jedi Order. Pushing the thought of everyone else not giving a damn, he went on to greet his master on his return from his last mission. He hugged him like the father figure he was, then pestered him about what he had been up to in the Outer Rim. Krav Erladin spoke of an undercover operation that he was part of. Its task was to root out an influential smuggling ring on Nar Shedaa, that was getting increasingly daring and dangerous to the Republic. Obviously, the whole thing had gone wrong at one point and the zabrak jedi knight had to fight his way out of a warehouse crammed with ill-filled thugs and mercenaries. He used up nearly all his force energy to slam those surrounding him into the buidling's walls. For the remainder of the day, he engaged in a powerbike race to catch the escaping crime lord. Eventually, the operation was a succes.

Eager as always, Nelo asked him when he would be allowed to accompany him on his missions. Krav Erladin shot down his enthusiasm, however. No padawans under a certain age- usually 13 or 14- were dispatched with their masters.

Instead, master Erladin resoted to further his apprentice's training in Form IV, Ataru and Form V Shien. During this time, he also taught Nelo how to better control his emotions and, by extension, his powers. Normally, only jedi masters would have been able to use Force Protect and Force Absorb like his padawan just did. Not to mention his fast healing powers, again, a trademark. Taken to the test ground regularly and put through cliff hanging situations, the boy began to better channel his energy and dose it acordingly. This meant that Nelo would have to learn more from another master, most likely Obi Wan, Windu or Yoda, once Erladin would have exhausted his ultimately limited knowledge. Sadly, they all had their own aprrentices to teach or were usually too busy for such a task. Sighing heavily at the thought, Krav Erladin resumed his lightsaber training session.

Nelo Hivaarr's birthday was up and- not surprisingly- no one came to congratulate him, wish the best for him, not to mention bring him presents. There were moments like this, when he regretted chosing to be a jedi and coming here. Surpressing any form of emotion, save for compassion, was mandatory, but it felt excessive at times.

He got out of bed and changed into his gray padawan attire, pulled on his boots and attached his lightsaber to his belt. He left his room, heading for the cafeteria to have breakfest. Along the way, he was greeted by his fellow jedi, not one of them congratulating him on his eleventh birthday; ignorants.

" Hey, Hivaarr!" someone called for him from afar. It was Anakin.

" Hey, Skywalker! Sorry, but I'm in a hurry!" Nelo tried to brush his friend off, but it was useless. Skywalker was best known for his stubborness.

" To do what? Eat those lifeless oat tartes? That's nothing to miss I assure you!" Anakin laughed slightly, but then remembered something. " Oh, by the way, my master wants to see you! Says it's something important, so follow me!"

" _Just my luck! Now I'll be missing breakfast too! My stomach doesn't care what it eats, as long as it's food!"_ Hivaarr muttered under his breath, but followed the other padawan to Obi Wan's quarters.Oat tartes or not, his stomach would growl in protest for the next six hours, thanks to this delay.

Nearing the door, Anakin stepped aside and gestured for Nelo to enter. Reluctantly, the latter did just that.

Nothing could have prepared him for what happened next. The room exploded in colour, confetti flying everywhere and a mock trumpet going off. Everything was decorated for a party. There was even a cake on the table in the middle of the room.

" Happy birthday, Nelo! We wish you the best for the years to come!" Obi Wan began.

" And for you to become the best jedi around here!" Krav Erladin continued, all smiling.

" On top of that, don't forget to be happy and live your life!" Anakin concluded and patted him on the shoulder.

Nelo Hivaarr was left speechless. Moments ago he was cursing the Jedi Order for being ignorant, but he was proven wrong. At least three other members of it were compassionate enough to celebrate his birthday; and that says something!

" _WOW! A cake... and look, on the bed, presents! I wonder what's inside..."_ the boy thought and made a few steps forward. He still couldn't believe that this was actually happening.

Smiling broadly, he tried to get to the boxes first, like pretty much any other 11 year old would have done, but Anakin grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

" A-a-a...! Not until you blow the candles, make a wish and taste the cake! You can't possibly know how hard it was to smuggle it all the way up here!" Skywalker told him on a humorous tone.

Letting out a loud puff, Nelo stood in front of the chocolate and fruit salad flavoured cake. Closing his eyes, he wished that he may have true friends and a caring family. Surprisingly or not, he also wished for a girl to love, one that would accept him for what and who he really was. He then blew out the candles. Those around him started cheering and singing him " Happy birthday!". The boy was really enjoying himself.

Using the Force rather creatively, he cut the cake into four equal pieces, one for each of them. The four jedi sat down on the bed, eating the expensive and hard to come by, sweet delicassy.

One hour later, it was time to open the presents. Nelo Had been anxiously waiting for this moment ever since he set eyes upon them. Not caring at all about manners or the wrapping paper, he tore through it and opened Anakin's box. Inside it was a small, portable music player, the size of a thumb, a pair of wireless headphones, a recharger and a list of cool songs and music genres for him to test.

" You have to live a little, Nelo! Apart from that, music may very well help you relax and meditate!" Anakin told him as they shaked hands.

Master Kenobi's box was next in line. Inside it was a holopad of sorts, containing... battle techniques, stances, strategies, diplomacy tutorials from the one regarded as " _The Negociator_ "- namely, himself. Unexpected, but a welcome addition to his personal library. Underneath it was also a deck of sabacc playing cards, Kenobi's one and only known hobby. The Jedi Master promised to teach him how to play like a pro.

Last, but not least, came master Erladin's box. It was voluminous, so perhaps it contained a great deal of stuff. Opening it, Nelo came upon another box, with his parents's names inscribed upon it. He was frozen in place for a minute. It certainly seemed like a lifetime for him. The memory of leaving them like that still haunted him and he feared letting this feelings of fear, regret, overwhelm him again.

"... Nelo... NELO!" someone shouted and he snapped out of his troubling thoughts. " You must open it and face your past in order to move forward! Bleieve me, you won't regret it!" Krav Erladin reassured him.

Inhaling and exhaling deeply and repeatedly, Nelo tried to calm himself down, as he slowly opened up the box that his parents sent him. He was greeted by a holo-projector that was activated the second he touched it. The life sized projections of his parents appeared. They seemed... older, obviously, but also... relieved, at peace, maybe because the found out that their son was alive and okay. Master Erladin pressed another button, activating the recording.

It was his father that spoke first:

" Hello son! It has been a long time, you know? Your mother and I were sick with worry after you left that day, six years ago. We tried to raise you as normally as possible, but it was impossible to do such a thing with you being so special!" he began, sad at first, but then, a smile began to form on his face. I'm sorry for bursting on you like I did, but you scared me-us!

Now, after a few years of fruitlessly searching for you, the jedi Krav Erladin came to us and he carefully and thoroughly explained what had happened in the meantime. He seems a man of word and I respect him!"

His mother spoke next, albeit with some difficulty:

" We don't blame you for what you did. If there's one to blame, that's us, for not helping you more! The jedi, Krav Erladin, told us of the gifts you have found and have been honing for the better good. He believes in you, we believe in you and, if there is ay way for us to help you, by all means, please name it!" she said with a tinge of regret in her voice. A tear made its way down her cheek, but she brushed it away and put on a reassuring smile. That was the mother he knew and remembered; always being there for those in need, not self-centered at all. HE was glad that she hadn't changed over the years.

The rest of the recording allowed him to catch up with what had happened with his family during his... absence. Apparently, his father got promoted as third-in-command of a comercial shipping guild on Alderaan, while his mother had taken up a job as a martial arts instructor for teenagers and young adults. The house he was born and raised in was sold, for they couldn't use it or afford its long term maintenance. That got him a bit sad, but his parents ent him their new address, along with a transmitter code to hail them, if he would, by any chance, drop by his home planet. Alas, after some more one sided talk, the recording ended.

Nelo Hivaarr's mind was going haywire. His heart was a mess too. He didn't know how to react. The Order specifically pressed the "no attachments whatsoever" rule more than anything else. So, why would master Erladin, master Kenobi and Anakin go through that much trouble to get him the perfect birthday?

" _Maybe they're my new family; people that I can confide in, that appreciate me with all my pros and cons. The nagging, compassionate brother I never had, but wished for. The father figure that would always have a wise answer to all my questions. The diplomatic looking uncle that had a knack at solving any problem, regardless of origin, even a birthday- so it would seem."_

The boy thanked them once again and, with a smile so wide that no one might ever mimick, he ran away with his presents, using Force Speed to reach his room. Once inside, he laid everything on the only other intact table in his room, then jumped face-down onto the bed. He began to cry, not because he was sad, but because he was happy.


	3. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:** _ **One last grand trial**_

The next weeks were quite entartining. He sparred with other padawans, almost always coming on top, of course. His peers looked at him with disapproving glares. Oh yeah, his superiority issues and occasional lack of modesty got him quite a few punishments.

Still, the bothersome, three times a day meditation sessions seemed to have a positive effect on him. His channeling and dosage of Force energy improved. Also, constant lightsaber practice prepared him for the dangerous battles to come.

One day, master Yoda put him up against a freshly promoted jedi knight, Aayla Secura, a blue skinned female twi'lek.

Their duel was shorter and not spectacular as the one between him and Windu. Nelo Hivaarr used a more refined version of Ataru to tire his adversary. The twi'lek was agile, quick to respond and hard to predict, but, with the aid of his Force powered jumps, increased stamina and determination, it was useless. Plus, when Nelo finally felt the exhaustion, he switched to the Vaapad style. The sudden change in battle tactics and his surge of energy threw Secura off balance and he pointed his lightsaber right at her throat. She then yielded. They bowed to each other and went their separate ways.

Later tests included blaster fire deflecting, dodging laser shots; leading an assault on a stronghold, while protecting himself and his companions etc. Turned out that he had a knack for using his Force Protect to cover the gaps in his defence, a clever move, his master observed.

As per Nelo's insisten requests, The Council allowed him to be trained in the usage and maintenance of firearms and explosives. The padawan's argument was strong enough to sway them to his side: a jedi needed to be prepared for any possible situation. That included bomb defusals, fighting with no lightsaber, fidgeting with all sorts of weaponry and machinery.

Not surprisingly, the boy had a marksman's aim. He could fire a DL-44 blaster and hit a target 600 meters away- bull's eye-, without the use of a scope. What's more, he was familiarized with all the other standard republic army firearms.

As the time went by, Nelo Hivaarr strode to prepare himself for the challenges to come. He had yet to prove himself on the field, so to say. Because of his background, potential and visible progress, the Council decided to keep him on training for a longer period. Technically, Hivaar would have been able to complete the easier field tasks, along with his master, but there was a reason behind the aproximate age limit of 13-14 years. Kids were rash, a bit narrow minded. All the preparations in the Universe couldn't make up for a gronw mind.

Jedi knight Krav Erladin pushed the Council into allowing Nelo to prove himself at long last. After he would have reached the age of 12, that is.

Until that time was due, master Yoda took it upon himself to train Erladin's padawan in controlling his Force energy. A strict physical training and daily, lenghty meditation sessions were established and he had to respect them. At the end of each week, Nelo Hivaarr would be taken to the training grounds, so that his progress could be checked.

From time to time-meaning at the end of each month, usually-, the boy would be paired up with either his master or other padawans and given different challenges to complete. One month, just before his twelfth birthday, he and Anakin were given the " _Challenge of a thousand steps"._

Masters Yoda, Shaak Ti, Kenobi and jedi knight Krav Erladin would be present outside the simulator. Of course, the giant device allowed them to simulate and control any inputted enviornment/battlefield.

The two padawans were hurried into the machine. The doors then closed in behind them and the simulator took the selected shape. Nelo gasped in awe. He and his friend were dropped on an abandoned landing platform with nothing but their choice of weapons and a rudimentary holo-map. Around them, other platforms were rising and descending, following an irregular pattern. The distance between two such platforms was large enough to stretch their Force jumps to their limits. There was also a strange, fragmented skyscraper-like structure further away. If Hivaarr could take a guess, that was their objective.

" Correct you are, young padawan!" Master Yoda's voice echoed from... everywhere. " The time has come, your skill to test!" he said with a slight chuckle.

" Your task is to get t the antenna on top of that building, hack into its terminal, reroute the signal to call for backup and hold out until it arrives!" Master Shaak Ti specified.

" Also, this location is close to a civilian centre. You two need to keep damage to the minimum!" she added.

" Alas, you would have to complete the objective one way or another. Regardless of the tactics you choose, remember that, on a battlefield, one cannot simply quit and turn away! Keep in mind that everything never is what you expected!" master Kenobi warned them.

" Alas, I have faith in both of you! Believe in yourselves and hel each other out! May the Force be with you!" Jedi Knight Krav Erladin ended the conversation and the test began.

Both Nelo and Anakin ignited their lightsabers to block a barage of laser shots coming at them. Turrets of multiple sizes and types fired on them from all directions, meaning that they had to think twice before making the smallest of steps.

Anakin started using his Ataru to deflect the shots back at the turrets, all the while pressing forward. Not wanting to be left behind, Nelo followed his comrade. Not as adept in Ataru, he wasn't able to redirect every shot back at its source but could hold his ground.

The two were nearing the end of the landing stripe. Anakin jumped on the nearest levitating platform. Unexpectedly, as Hivaarr tried to join hi,, the thing moved away and the boy fell into the abyss. Nelo thought fast. He threw his climbind cable around a pipe, stopping his descent.

Meanwhile, Anakin was taken to new heights, literally. The platform went up and down, left and right, following what now appeared to be a pattern that brought its occupant into the crosshairs of the guns. Most of his attention was centered on keeping balance and defending himself. The nearest stable surface was too far away. He had to think of a plan; and fast!

 _... somewhere behind him..._

Nelo Hivaarr cursed between his teeth. Holding himself like that was hard enough. The next platform wwas quite far but maybe, just maybe in range of his powers. Closing his eyes, he calmed himself as best as one in his position could, then extended his left hand and let an invisible line go towards the platform.

" _Steady... steady... in and around... gotcha!"_

Smiling broadly, he pulled the platform under his feet, jumped on it and followed Anakin's trail.

Nelo too came under fire from a few turrets. Recognizing their model from afar, he also knew their weakness: a small spot inbetween the twin cannons. One powerful, precise laser shot would be enough to take the entire thing out.

Using his golden coloured lightsaber to defend himself, he switched into reverse Shien defense style. He need not use both his hands now. Therefore, his left hand was free to grab his DL-44 blaster pistol. Concentrating about 15 lines of energy into a single shot, he fired it at the turret... " _Bullseye!"_ he high-fived himself.

Replicating the process a few times, Nelo cleared a way for himself. Right then, of all times, his platform started shaking, as if running out of energy.

" You've got to be ****ing kidding me!" he swore loudly. Gathering as much Force energy as possible, he made a giant leap towards the nearest building. He made it, though barely.

Sighing heavily, he searched for his fellow padawan. Anakin himself was jumping from drone to drone,destroying them and/or using them as stepping stones; not bad, by the way.

Turning back at to his own problems, Nelo calmed his body and studied the surroundings. The distance between two buildings was great enough to tire anyone foolish enough to try to repeatedly climb them by any means. Only the platforms could close the gaps, but they were unreliable at best and brought their occupants in the line of fire. Hivaarr channeled his Force energy to his feet, jumping onto te roof of the next building. Ten drones went after him, but his Force protect and quick Ataru moves made short work of them; in under three minutes.

Safe for now, he neared the edge of the roof and extinguished his lightsaber. Taking hold of his DL-44 blaster, he fired accurate, powerful shots at the drones surrounding Skywalker, giving him a bit of freedom for movement.

Surprised at first, Anakin nodded in thanks and made another leap towards the roof closest to him. When it was clear that he couldn't make it, he shot out his climbing cable at it and used the momentum to throw himself onto the only not moving space craft there. He then gestured for Hivaarr to join him and the boy did just that.

Reunited, the two padawans came under heavy fire from the turrets above. Standing their ground wasn't a smart action though, for their craft was taking damage and was beginning to slowly lose height; its stabilizers have been hit.

" Skywalker, I suggest you try to reach that disabled turret there!" Nelo pointed somewhere above them. It wasn't too far. It might just work. " From there, you would be able to use your Force push to augment my Force jump. With a bit of luck, I might end up on that roof!"

Anakin returned a curious look. " Hey! I'm supposed to be the older, more stupidely daring one! Why didn't I think of that?"

" No time for jokes or your stupid smiling, do it!" Nelo barked and used his blaster to take out three approaching drones. Anakin got the message and managed to reach the turret, just as the spacecraft shook violently and lost altitude. Nelo himself crouched and Force jumped as high as he could. With added power from Anakin, he felt like he was flying. It worked.

The boy then used Force pull to help his fellow padawan onto the roof. As good as the pair was, exhaustion was visible. The Force could only so much flow through one jedi's body. Attempting to enslave it, even for brief amounts of time, could lead one to addiction- and addiction ultimately led to the Dark Side.

Panting heavily, the duo stood back to back, defending themselves from the incoming drones and turret fire.

" This is getting us nowhere!" Ankin shouted. " We've got to push forward, lest we'll never gonna make it!"

Nelo deflected another three shots, succesfuly destroying another drone.

" Thank you, Captain Obvious! Any idea how we might do that, when we're about to die from exhaustion?"

" Force, you're a nuisance, Hivaarr! You see that pipe over there?" Nelo nodded. " Good! Hand me your climbing cable and hold the line till I'm done!" Anakin added, then gave Nelo his own lightsaber.

" Hey, wait!" Hivaarr tried to protest, but was cut short by another barrage of lasers. Now using both his and Skywalker's saber, he switched into a special variation of Form V, which he would sometimes combine with Ataru.

At the same time, Anakin used a few spare parts from his utility belt to connect the two climbing cable devices. With a bit of luck, they would get double the distance covered in that one shot.

" Well, here goes nothing!" he shouted and launched the cable. Amazingly, it attached itself around the pipe; and it did hold. " Come on, Hivaarr!"

The boy attached his lightsabers to his belt, evaded a few shots and grabbed his colleague's hand. The pair made its way to the top without a hinch. Using the last drops of energy they had, they Force jumped to the last floor. In front of them lay the command room...

...

... guarded by twenty drones and three lightsaber wielding droids...

 _At the spectator's "lounge" outside the simulator..._

" Was it really necessary?" Jedi Knight Krav Erladin asked, as he sipped from his drink.

" Master Erladin, no battle is ever even, or perfectly laid out! If your apprentice is as skilled as you deem him, then he must be ready and willing to face overwhelming odds!" Master Shaak Ti answered on a neutral tone. Mace Windu secretly asked her to push the boy to the limit and see how he would react. On that alone, they would base their final judgement on wether to allow him to take part in future missions, alongside Erladin.

" As much as I agree with your intake, master Ti, Erladin does have a point! Lightsaber droids weren't necessary!" Obi Wan Kenobi intervened.

The three of them started debating, oblivious to what was happening in the simulator. It was master Yoda's gremlin chuckle that snapped them out of it.

" The two padawans, many surprises for us, prepared, they have!" he noted, smiling, then turned back to the sight of the battle.

 _Back inside the simulator..._

"... At least there are no more turrets!" Anakin half-joked about their predicament.

" Would you let me think for a moment?!" Nelo Hivaarr responded, visibly agitated and worried.

He looked around for any solutions. Sadly for them, their Force energy was at its lowest, so no magic tricks for a while.

He had to use his limited arsenal to pull it off. Hidden inside his utility belt were three, compact sized grenades. Those could easily take out one or two drones at a time, but it wasn't enough. He had to add destructive capacity somehow... Maybe if he could corner the machines in a tight spot...

His plan laid out in his mind, Nelo took hold of his blaster and used it in combination with his lightsaber. Four drones were knocked out quickly, while Anakin destroyed another three.

The rest of the drones having perceived Hivaarr as the main danger, they flocked against him. His pistol having shot it's last energy bar, Nelo ran to his left, ducked behind a metal wall, put his weapons back on his belt and grabbed the grenades. Arming them, he waited for the drones to reach his position. Just then, he leaped backwards, throwing the explosives at his enemies. Out of thirteen drones, only three remained, easy prey for Nelo's swift lightsaber work.

Obviously, he couldn't enjoy his victory just yet.

" A little help over here would be nice!" came Anakin's sarcastic voice. The three lightsaber wielding droids were no pushovers; he convinced himself of that. Able to use up to two stlyes interchangingly, the machines were giving him a hard time. It took all of Obi Wan's teachings just to parry the incoming attacks.

Sighing yet again, Nelo Hivaarr snuck upon one of the droids and sliced its hands in two quick moves, then slashed its head off. Not wasting one second, he grabbed the droid's yellow coloured lightsaber and ignited it.

The true battle then began. The droids, no longer taken by surprise, were mounting a ruthless offensive. Anakin breathed heavier than before, exhaustion no longer managable. Defence itself was difficult, attacks were a far fetched goal.

Even Hivaarr seemed to have reached his limit, as his hands were shaking continuously. The two padawans could hardly keep up with their Ataru styles. It required energy and agility, which they were terribly lacking at the moment. Nelo took the brunt of the next attack and his shoulder was grazed by the droid's lightsaber. He gritted his teeth in pain, but managed to defend himself.

" I can't... keep going... there has to be a solution!" he spoke, more to himself than to his fellow padawan, who mumbled something in approval.

Taking a moment to find an answer to his problem, he remembered that the Vaapad style could absorb energy from one's marginal Dark Side emanations. It was dangerous, obviously tempting to tap into that source, but as long as he would stand firm by his belief and focus, he would prevail.

Despite Anakin's protests, he closed his eyes and concentrated on his breathing for a minute. As carefully and as slowly as the battle around him allowed it, he opened the proverbial prison in which every Jedi locked away his or her Dark Side. The sensation was akin to a drug, a powerful stimulant that rejuvenated him.

" _**There is no emotion, there is peace.**_

 _ **There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.**_

 _ **There is no passin, there is serenity.**_

 _ **There is no chaos, there is harmony.**_

 _ **There is no death, there is the Force!"**_ Nelo recited the Jedi Code, as he put a new leash on his pwer and emotions, sending the surplus energy back into its prison, where it belonged.

Opening his eyes, Nelo Hivaarr felt new vigor guiding him back towards the battlefield. In a swift, yet precise movement, he ducked under one droid's arm, rotated to its left and sliced off its head, then Force pushed the remains over the edge of the roof.

Suddenly freed from the extra pressure, Anakin locked swords with the remaining droid. Gathering what was left of his strenght, he dashed to the right, then Force kicked the droid's head, decapitating it. The machine, however, did not stop right there and them, and only Nelo's quick thinking saved Skywalker from an unexpected, most likely deadly attack.

Finally done with the droids, drones and what else, the padawans walked up to the transmitter. After ten minutes of tinkering with it, they managed to reroute the signal and call for reinforcements.

Seeing as the coast was clear, they fell on the floor, tired and in desperate need for a breather. They've earned it, or that's what they thought...

 _Back at the spectator's lounge..._

... Not that they would have one. Master Windu's methods were never the wasy and predictable ones. With him absent, master Shaak Ti has taken it upon herself to push the padawans- especially Hivaarr- to their limits. He wasn't specific as to why that boy was to be so closely monitiored, but she would nonetheless oblige.

 _Back inside the simulator, at the communcations room..._

The communicator on Anakin's left hand started beeping. He picked up the call. Appearently, the relief force was to arrive in an hour; just their rotten luck. The two glanced around, searching with their Force Sense. The coast was clear, for now. So, Nelo asked Anakin about his recent missions, what was going on out there int the galaxy and so on.

His fellow padawan answered with a tinge of pride in his voice. His exploits were impressive for someone his age: dealing with crime lords, rescuing hostages on more than one occasion, raiding mercenary havens on Tatooine and Dantooine, arresting criminals in the underbelly of Corruscant and worse... Nar Sheddaa; he even saved his master Obi Wan Kenobi from a nest of gundarks on Vanqor.

Nelo's face showed a bit of envy as the stories went by, but the sentiment evaporated as quickly as a drop of moisture in the desert. The boy was curious and eager to have his own breathtaking adventures.

" _That's why I have to push harder! The masters will see how skillful I am and will give me the recognition I deserve!"_ Hivaarr thought. Next thing he knew, the Force screamed at him to get out of the way. He jumped to the right, grabbing a startled Anakin from the line of fire. A volley of eight laser shots fell onto the spot they've just vacated.

" Damn! Here we go again!" Skywalker said and slowly got up, ignited his lightsaber and readied himself. Each step he took shook him still. He didn't get a proper break; twenty minutes were simply not enough. " nelo, get yourself up for kriffin out loud and do something! Help me!" he shouted.

Hivaarr cursed under his breath. He closed his eyes and concetrated on the surroundings. With his Force Sense, he was able to pinpoint the perpetrators: snipers, four of them, on a nearby rooftop, plus another four drones, remotely controlled. Another glance at the room they were in gave him an answer to his predicament: an energy weapons recharger unit, plus an E-11 sniper rifle, single magazine done. meaning only six shots.

" Cover me!" he told Anakin as he jumped to the other side of the room. Another volley of shots were fired at them, but Kenobi's padawan managed to deflect them, even destroying one remote.

" Cover you? Who's gonna cover me, smartass?" he responded.

Meanwhile, Nelo connected a cable from the recharge unit to his DL-44 blaster. After a couple of minutes, it was done- 100 lines of energy, enough to last him through this battle. Next, he smashed the E-11 sniper rifle's case and removed it from its holding. Carefully inspecting the weapon, he set the scope to the desired distance, adjusted the metal butt to match his stature and removed the safety.

In one firm move, he rolled out of the room and fired at three of the snipers, killing "them" instantly. The fourth one fired in return, but Nelo ignited his lightsaber and deflected the shot back at him; another kill. Hivaarr then ducked behind a metal wall. Shots went through his supposed cover. Not breaking concentration, he rolled out to the left and shot two of the remotes with what remained of the clip. The last drone then met his DL-44's relentless fire. A couple of minutes later, it was over.

"... Wow! That was quite the handiwork, man!" Anakin praised him.

Nelo smiled at the remark and threw the depleted rifle away. " It was nothing! I expected..."

"Watch out!" Skywalker shouted and Force pushed Hivaarr to the side; another sniper had them in his crosshair.

Nelo defended himself with his lightsaber. In his left hand, the DL-44 blaster was gathering energy for a well aimed, powerful shot. Finally after another few minutes of waiting and random fire coming out of multiple directions, the sniper made the mistake of revealing himself. He got shot in the head for it.

"... I don't think that's the Jedi way!" Skywalker mused.

" Hey, the evil guy shot at me, at us! It's only self defence!" Hivaarr answered and they went back inside.

The duo had the clever idea of changing the place's defence protocol, turning the turrets to the Republic's side.

Finally, the time was up and they passed _**" Challenge of a thousand steps"**_ .


	4. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:** _ **Time to start helping the galaxy!**_

The world around the two padawans turned into bits that got smaller and smaller, revealing the training room that they were familiar with. They then were approached by the masters.

Kenobi extended his right hand, which Anakin shook in a brotherly fashion.

Krav Erladin hugged his apprentice as if he were his son, appraising him for his succes.

Master Shaak Ti was speechless. Normally, she would have congratulated the pair right away, yet there was something she couldn't get her mind off of... Master Windu would have to know about it as soon as possible.

Master Yoda put up a wide, approving smile:

" Impressive teamwork, young padawans! Nelo Hivaarr" he said turning to the boy: " Ready for accompaning your master, you are!"

The boy returned the smile. His whole being was radiating like a supernova. Hivaarr was very happy, proud that his efforts were being rewarded at last.

" Thank you, master Yoda! Thank all of you!" he said bowing to the jedi masters.

" You too, Skywalker!" he said with a wink, which in turn got him a friendly punch into his left shoulder.

" You deserve it, buddy! You are skilled, but be wary of your surroundings; I'm speaking from experience, of course!" Anakin added with a serious tone, that got Kenobi to chuckle.

The Council was indeed amazed by the padawan's progress. They were pleased to have such a promising disciple at the temple. Secretly, however, Masters Windu and Shaak Ti were worried, the first moreso. Vaapad users were always meddling with the Dark Side and its emanations. As such, they were prone to dangerous situations. A young initiate, like that Nelo Hivaarr boy, that tried to master this double edged style had to have an incredible self control to pull through unscathed by evil. Somehow, the jedi second-in-command didn't believe Erladin's apprentice had it in him. Surveillance was necessary in his case.

Nelo's first mission: a bomb defusal on Corruscant. Follwing his master, Krav Erladin, padawan Nelo Hivaarr responded to a distress call from a high ranking official of the Gallactic Senate.

The two jedi were leading a squad of fifty Republic soldiers to scour the building for terrorists and the supposed bomb. The first twenty floors of the skyscraper were clear. An inside analysis made by the team's #1 hacker showed that the cameras recorded movement on the 37-38 floors.

The troops took the lifts and the emergency stairwell, securing the building floor by floor, while reinforcments were inbound. In the meantime, Krav Erladin showed his padawan a new technique, one that would extend his Force sense's range.

" By lowering your heartbeat to a minimum and drawing small amounts of energy from the structure, you could become one with it, feeling any movements through the vibrations they cause. At first, they may feel trivial, unimportant, but as you concentrate further, you get to tell each vibration apart from the other, thus pinpointing the cause and the exact location."

Nelo took his master's advice and did as he instructed. He failed at first, but in a couple of minutes, he was able to reach the state of concentration required of him. He could now sense the soldiers's movements. Then, as his perception extended, he could "see" the ten terrorists placing trip mines, thermal detonators and a larger bomb all over the 38th floor. Also, the bomb was at the end of the room, beeping menacingly.

" WOW!... That...was something different!" the padawan stated, as he snapped out of his trance.

" Yes, I too saw them! Let's go, before it's too late!" his master added and they've both Force-sped to the repsective floor, taking the normal set of stairs.

Reaching the destination before the other soldiers, the two jedi carefully lifted the trip mines with the Force, then disabled them, one at a time. At first, everything was running smooth; nobody spotted them. A few minutes later though, Nelo was forced to kill one of them and all hell broke loose.

Jedi Knight Krav Erladin slapped his face. He feared something like this might happen. His padawan was deficitary when it came to mind tricking; plus, neimoidians were resistant to such techniques. The boy really had nothing else to do, but end the scum's life. The jedi knight then lit his emerald lightsaber and defended himself.

Nelo, on the other hand, activated his Force protect and assaulted the enemy, closing the distance between him and them. Faced with the terrorists's criminal intentions, he was coerced into killing them, in order to prevent an even bigger tragedy. He found that simultaneous usage of lightsaber and blaster was practical (at least for him; other jedis haven't tried something like this), enabling him to adopt a flexible, ever chaning battle tactic.

Shooting the last neimoidian, he rushed to the bomb. The timer was two minutes away from exploding. Relaxing, he let the Force guide him into removing the covering, then the main panel. He then took a scalple and cut a number of cables. A few sparks came out, but nothing more.

The dreaded device was harmless.

His master approached, careful as to not trigger any remianing traps. He patted his apprentice on the shoulder and gave him an approving nod.

" Rash, but adapting and efficient! I don't know how the Council will take it when we'll be reporting to them..." he spoke with a bit of worry in his voice.

Nelo gathered himself up and looked his master in the eyes. The padawan felt something was wrong, but tried not to pry. His deep purple eyes shined with the need to learn more and exploring the Galaxy. His voice carried an intellgent tone and his posture has only improved. He looked like a responsible 13 year old padawan.

" Why do you say that, master? Have I done something wrong?"

" Yes and now, Nelo! Yes, because you attacked the enemy without support, also leaving your master's side on your first mission. No, because this was a special situation, the kind that is too volatile to quickly and acurately predict. To put it simply, you disobeyd the rules in order to save those around you and reach the goal!" master Erladin explained with a severe tone.

" So... duty versus rules? Duty vs duty?" Nelo asked, not sure which one was better.

Krav Erladin sighed. The kid was too curious and smart for his own health. This was a serious, complex question. It brought into debate the very foundation of the Jedi: **The Code**. The passion to save lives has pushed many a good jedi to the Dark Side, with catastrophic consequences.

" Look, Nelo, as long as you remember your teachings, you will be fine. The essential thing is to never, ever, EVER be selfish in your efforts; even when saving laves! There is a time for everything, for dying and letting go as well!"

Nelo Hivaarr pondered his master's words for a while. He got a standard answer, just like he expected. What he could not understand was why one had to abandon his work when there was still a spark of hope? If his master ever found himself gravely injured, Hivaarr would do all in his power to save him. What was wrong in that?

" _Imprisoning the Force, enslaving it towards accomplishing your own goals is not the way of the jedi, but that of the sith!"_ he remembered a certain quote from his many lectures.

" Indeed, there is a time for everything, master!" he answered with a tinge of sadness. That vision he got three years ago lingered in the back of his mind. That was unsettling.

They returned to the Jedi Temple. Their succes was broadcasted all over the news. Even as they gave their report to the Council, chancellor Sheev Palpatine of the Gallactic Republic contacted them via Hologram and thanked them for their bravery and conduct.

The first mission was just the beginning of a streal of wonderfully executed operations for the Erladin-Hivaarr team. Other padawans were looking up to him, but he learned enough about humility so as to not look down upon them. Instead, he chatted with them, gave them advice and behaved more or less appropriately.

Also, his friendship with Skywalker pushed the two into a well-known, yet amical rivalry. They would boast about their exploits and make fun of the other's misfortune, if it were the case. Apart from that, the two were like brothers, hanging out often, playing cards, training together, attending similar classes when possible. Both had a reputation of being the most reckless, yet powerful padawans at the Temple.

Hivaarr's record by the time of his 16th birthday was impressive: 40 bomb defusals, 15 hostage rescue missions, four cases of diplomatic escorting, plus many other small time assignments. Corellia, Coruscant, Naboo, Rodia, Kashyyk, even the infamous crime world of Nar Sheddaa were by now known to him. One should add Alderaan to the list.

Yes, he visited his own planet in the time between cathing a runaway bounty hunter and delivering him to the Alderaan's authorities. He bumped into his parents by accident, but it was a happy reunion. He learned that he had a little sister and brother, twins, if one could believe it, both two years old.

They were so sweet, so innocent. They were almost identical: light green eyes, same beautiful brown hair with sparks of brilliant orange, the same smile, sharp face shape...

As he was playing with them and admiring them, he let cooing sounds escape his mouth. He loved his siblings, no matter what the jedi said. They would lead normal lives, sharing wonderful times with their family, relatives and friends; just to be sure, he reached with the Force to them to check if they had any potential to develop any unnatural abilities. Luckily, they haven't... and it was reassuring.

" What are their names?" he asked, turning his almost angelic looking face to his parents. Indeed, it was a divine moment for him.

His mother took a seat next to him on the children's bed, hugged him and held him close.

" Honey, I think we've made quite the good call with that!" she smiled. " We named her Sabrina," she said, while gently moving her hand over her baby daughter's head, earning a few giggles." His name, on the other hand, is Olen!" she pointed at her second son.

It took Nelo about one minute to put everything together in his mind and realise that his brother was given a backwards spell of _"Nelo"._

Returning his glance to his parents, now joined together on the small bed, he could not hope but remember that the separation took its toll. Sure, they were happy for him. He had spent about 11 years away from home and he had grown into a well mannered, good looking teenager, with long black hair, caught in the traditional padawan ponytail-braid thing. His deep purple eyes, fair complexion, round, spotless face and encouraging smile cheered them all instantly. He spoke about his exploits, about his vision of a future where he would travel from planet to planet, helping anyone in his/her time of need, just like the ancient jedi did.

Alas, after spending that one day with his family, he needed to return to the Temple. But, as a parting gift, he went into the town and cruised around the shops, until he found what he was looking for: a set of action figures for his little brother and small, white and pink princess dress, with sparkling marbles and a small tiara for his sister. Those were his parting gifts to his siblings and were to be given to them when they turned three. He also left them a note, before making his way to his starfighter.

Next day, he found himself in a large briefing room under the Temple, where every important jedi was present. A bomb attempt at the former queen of Naboo- and current senator of that planet- Padme Naberrie Amidala, had been commited in the morning. Her decoy and many of her bodyguards had perished in the violent explosion, while she escaped due to precautions having been taken.

Chancellor Palpatine spoke to her calmly, trying to take her mind off of things for a change. The reason she was here was the fact that _**" The Military Creation Act"**_ or MCA was about to be taken up to voting. She was one of the most influential speakers against the act and any violent and sudden action towards the Separatist aligning systems. She advocated for an amiable agreement between the two conflicting sides.

" It is certainly related to the Act I was about to vote down!" the young, beautiful senator declared, all attention on her.

" And that is why I ask of you to be careful, Padme dear!" the chancellor expressed his concern for her, " Your safety is paramount; we may postpone the voting until..."

" I'm sorry to interrupt chanccelor, but I will not back down and cower in fear of some two-bit frustrated terrorist! I will vote against that act, wether or not it puts my life at further risk!"

" Wow, a brave one, she is! I wonder why the rest of the senators are so stupid and show cowardice at the slightest of threats!" Nelo thought.

After some more heated devate, the jedi were asked to provide her with a permanent escort, prefferably someone that the senator was familiar with. The chancellor proposed Obi Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, insisting that they were both skilled and known to the former queen of Naboo since the liberation of the said planet.

" Hey, Skywalker, congrats! You got to guard the damsel in distress, while I do the hard work of searching the villains!" the sixteen year old teen stated with his most annoyingly theatrical voice and gesture.

Anakin rolled his eyes, let out a sigh and punched Hivaarr in the stomach- lightly mind you!

" HEY! What was that for?"

" She's a childhood friend, idiot! She, along with master Qui Gon and Obi Wan rescued me from the clutches of that sith lord, Darth Maul, you know the story, I've told you about my life after you nagged my about it for two months in a row! FORCE, you can be so annoying!" he retorted.

" Always a pleasure, Skywalker! Do give her my kind regards, please!" Nelo smiled and Force ran out of there, leaving an enraged Anakin behind.

Making his way out of the Jedi Temple's meeting room, Nelo Hivaarr joined his master in the latter's hovercar. He looked troubled by the way the political arena was developing.

" Master Windu has voice his concern regarding the assassin's employers. He wishes us to search through the lower levels of the planet for any clues!"

Nelo Hivaarr sat in his passenger seat and put his hands behind his head, in a carefree manner.

" Master, we both know who's ultimately behind this move: the Trade Federation and its goons! Cursed Neimodians!" he spat.

Jedi Knight Krav Erladin slapped his padawan over the head. Then, he threw him a menacing glare that dissipated his aura of carefreeness.

" Padawan, you must behave! Also, I thought you would have learned a thing or two about diplomacy from last time! Seems that you've got a long way to got on that chapter alone!" his master admonished him, laughing a bit as he spoke the last words. " Know that I don't disagree with you, but, given the sensible relation between the Separatist- leaning planets and the Republic, I advise you to keep you assumptions to yourself, at least until you can back them up with solid evidence!"

Nelo bowed his head in response. He pondered those words, not speaking at all for the duration of their journey. Instead, he focused himself on memorizing the complicated street structure of the lower levels of Corruscant that they planned to visit. He felt that it would come in handy at one point.

Later that day, his master parked their vehicle by one of the guarded spots, paid the police droid the fee and got out. The jedi knight and his apprentice were dressed casually, their lightsabers hidden away from prying eyes; they appeared perfectly normal, common. Their first stop: " _ **Skani Usini's liquor spring"**_ bar.

The barkeeper was one of Erladin's older acqueintences, a double-dealing twi'lek. The two go way back, from a time when Erladin was stationed on Nar Kreeta and saved his sorry ass a couple of times. Never once had Skani Usini betrayed his trust, but that privilege applied only to Erladin- not to the other jedi, regardless of their name or rank.

Taking in a large breath and focusing himself, Krav Erladin led his padawan through the crowd inside. The bar was crammed with people. Bright purple, red, pink, yellow, orange colours, sngs of all kinds and shapes were advertising cocktails, food, even "courtesans" and bounty hunter contracts. A few girls were seving bottles full of beer. Erladin took one without skipping a beat and downed it. The bar wench protested, but he cut her off:

" Oh, quit your yapping, sweet cheeks!" he spat back at her and threw the now empty on the floor.

Nelo Hivaarr kept his cool, laughing mentally instead. He hadn't seen his master behave like this until now, but again, he hadn't taken part in undercover operations on this scale. Villains and crooks like those surrounding them right now didn't take lightly to having any authorities amongst them. One false, unnatural move might betray them and cause an outrage...

One trandoshian bumped into the padawan.

" If I were you, I would watch my s-s-s-step around here, si-l-l-lly boy!" he talked down with his paticular lizard sounds.

Nelo turned around, a killer's look in his eyes. With one swift move, he punched the lizardman in the stomach. The crook let out a low whine and fell to the floor. Hivaarr then whispered into his ear:

" Be careful, bastard! No one knows how many idiots spilled their guts on that floor; wouldn't want to join that count, now would you?" he said, removing that guy's three silver credit chips. Other people gazed upon him, unsure wether to beat him or mind their business.

" What are you all staring at? He was an idiot- he said, pointing at the fallen trandoshian-, so leave him to cry his stupidity!" he turned to the bar wench closest to him and gave her two of the chips.

" One drink for each of my friends over here!"

She only nodded to hin and the other gave their congrats, before returning to their respective business.

" _You're picking up well, padawan, but do not exaggerate, keep your guard up and your eyes and ears open!"_ his master told him via their mental bond.

So, while Nelo walked to a large table in the middle, joining a few crooks for a game of sabacc, Krav Erladin made his way towards the bar. Once he was at the counter, he repeatedly and loudly tapped his fingers. To the common man, that might have looked like a gesture of impatience. Instead, it was a signal only the bar owner knew.

Skani Usini poured another glass of who-knows-what-the-kriff, extended the drink to the patron, took the credit chip and approached the new, impatient customer.

" What's you posion, matey?" he asked.

" Mirrorshatterer!" Erladin answered and moved his head a bit to the left.

" I see! Well, I'll mae you get your money's worth!" he said, clapping his palms.

Three crooks folded their card game and took out their bress knuckels and knives. A circle took shape around Erladin and the above mentioned " gentlemen".

 ** _Author's note:_**

 ** _Please review and let me know what you think about my story!_**

 ** _Any good ideas will be taken into account when updating! :))_**

 ** _Thank you all for reading my fanfic!_**


	5. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:** _ **Murky Merc Business...**_

Three crooks folded their card game and took out their bress knuckels and knives. A circle took shape around Erladin and the above mentioned " gentlemen".

One of them tried to surprise him with a backstab, but he was knocked back by a bottle flying right in his face.

The next one threw his knife at Erladin, but the undercover jedi knight jumped to the floor, barely evading it. The knife itself killed a rodian from the crowd. Not a second later, a classical barfight errupted, in which Skani Usini made himself scarce. Erladin, having disposed of the last perpetrator, followed him to the safe room. Once there, he was about to beat the bartender into oblivion, but the pale-skinned twi'lek put his hand up and spoke:

" Just...don't! I know why you're here and frankly, I would have helped you right away!"

" Now, how is turning your goons against helpful, hmmm?" a visibly angry Erladin said, revealing his lightsaber.

The twi'ek swallowed hard, trembled, but nonetheless kept his gaze upon the zabrak jedi knight's eyes.

" You were being followed! You're here for the bomber's identity, aren'tya?" When Erladin nodded to him, he took it as his cue to continue. " It was a human, a mandalorian I believe- no name, sorry-, that came here a few days ago, looking for a partner in crime. Found himself a changling girl, or something, he did.

" Changeling... damn! Do you know anything about her?"

Skani Usini shook his head. He took one of his Datapads and showed Erladin her face- well, one of them, anyway. The text said she was from Tatooine, she formally worked for Jabba the Hutt, but left at least one year ago.

" That means she isn't working for the Hutt Cartel... I have a long road ahead of me, don't I?"

The twi'lek smiled at the rethorical question.

" You'd have to check both the underworld on Corruscant and Tatooine. Sadly, you can't be in two spots at once? Pity! Well, I wish you good luck on your journey! I hope we'll meet again, at a friendly drink this time!"

" I hope so too, my friend!" Erladin responded, then left a thousand credits on a nearby table. " For your trouble. Until then, you do know we have to make it look real, right?" Erladin grinnedand proceeded to beat the crap out of a terrified Usini.

Nelo Hivaarr avoided another fist to the face. He replied with a kick of his own, smashing the drunkard into a nearby wall. Next, he took a bottle and cracked it. The sharp glass momentarly discouraged any fool from making a move on the undercover padawan.

Soon, the screaming started. Someone was thrown across the room, landed on the floor, probably breaking a few bones along the way. Right after, another figure, namely his master, approached the shocked twi'lek, grabbed him by the collar and then threw him against a wall.

" Whatyya all looking at? Scram! Get out of here before I kick yer asses!" Krav Erladin shouted, adding some Force persuasion to his words.

Quickly enough, the crowd exited the establishment-Nelo amongst them-, leaving the two to settle their score.

One hour later, jedi knight Krav Erladin joined his apprentice back at their spacecar. They left for the lanes underneath Corruscant. After explaining what had happened and what he found out, Erladin agreed to sent his apprentice to Tatooine, incognito. It was either Nelo going to that desert planet, or remaining in the underworld of Corruscant, where he had no contacts or solid leads whatsoever; a very easy choice, both of them thought.

It was decided then.

Padawan Nelo Hivaarr was given a substantial amount of credits, a detailed map of Tatooine and its cities and places of interest, plus a list of more... proeminent merc leaders, private contractors and scumbags. Also, in order to cover his tracks, Nelo took a normal transport to the desert planet, 3rd class ticket.

He almost fell asleep on his seat, bored to the death. No datapad to read(it would give him away), no one to play cards with(crappy crowd) and no fight to get in(not enough space; no reason yet). Yawning loudly, he tilted his head to the side and closed his eyes. Maybe sleep wasn't such a bad plan after all, he thought.

One of the flight attendent droids didn't care one bit for his sleep or peace of mind. The cheap thing announced that the ship had just reached its destination: Mos Eisley, Tatooine.

As he got out of the ship, Hivaarr was instantly toppled over by the wave of unforgiving, ever dry air. He had been on Tatooine just once before, but that included escorting a delegate of Mos Eisley to the Hutt's palace and back; at night. He wondered how on Alderaan could Anakin have lived his childhood in a nasty, unforgiving place like this.

The now almost 20 years old padawan had been like a brother to Nelo ever since that birthday party. They often spent time together, sparred, meditated, cracked jokes and would have a friendly competition in just about any domain. They knew each other's histories, obviously. Anakin's confession of his past was hard for him to put into words. The memories, mostly unhappy ones, would come back and haunt " The Chosen One" too often, if he didn't put all his effort into locking them away in a corner of his mind. That's why telling Hivaarr about his first ten years of his life was that much of challenge.

Nelo remebered that evening, two years ago. It was the first and only time that he had seen Skywalker cry. His mother, Shmi Skywalker was supposed to be still in Mos Espa, owned by that toydarian scum, Watto. Anakin wanted to go and get her back, but that would have countervened with the Jedi Code; plus, the late jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn told the boy that Shmi wanted him to remain at the Jedi's side.

" How cruel a fate befalls so many!" Nelo spoke to himself as he entered the first cantina.

Meanwhile, Anakin was reunited with the one whom he had promised to marry, almost ten years ago: the former Queen of Naboo, Padme Amidala. He most certainly loved the beautiful senator, wanted to feel the warmth of her lips, the emotion of her gaze, the almost electrical bond that connected the two of them. Surely, such a bond was not against the will of the Force, was it not?

Obi Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker were taksed with protecting the brave senator. Someone wanted her dead and will stop at nothing from achiveing this villanous feat. Now they found themselves in the senator's luxurious suite. Captain Typho and the rest of his guards were stationed at every corner, doorstep, window of the building, save for Padme's very own chambers.

" No one can get in!" master Obi Wan reassured a troubled Anakin. " If they do get in, then we will greet them accordingly!" he emphasized, patting his lightsaber.

Still, Anakin Skywalker, the brave padawan, was tense. To him, something just didn't feel right. He thought about checking on Padme, but he did leave Artoo to watch over her. He sighed. His senses were clouded by his feelings for her. Never before had he felt so... open, so indecisive, worried about the future. Lucky for him, he learned how to shield his thoughts from those around him, even his master.

" You're right, master! Though I would like to catch and interrogate those wannabe assassins, instead of being kept on edge for days!" he said, dropping on a nearby couch and sipping his bottle of soda.

" My, aren't you the anxious one!" Kenobi smiled at his padawan and friend. " We do have our orders and will stick to them until the Council deems it wise to chase the perpetrators. For now, we will keep watch of the senator." he added, then took a seat and closed his eyes, allowing himself a short breather.

" DO NOT FAIL ME!" the mandalorian mercenary said, as he passed his changeling partner the pair of poisonous worms.

She knew what she had to do. Making use of a civilian hovercar, she went to the top of the building closest to senator Amidala's suite. " Time to do our job!" she spoke to her seeker drone.

The droid chirped in approval and took the two tubes. Holding them carefully, it flew across the lane, to the senator's bedroom windows. After a close inspection, it determined that its tools could deactivate the shields and alarms.

Two small, circular holes were cut in one of the windows of the bedroom. One minute later, the deadly pair of worms fell onto the floor and started moving on the only pray there: Padme Amidala.

Skywalker received a silent waning from the Force. Danger was near... near Padme. A couple of seconds later, Artoo beeped in distress. Anakin force sped to the bedroom, opened the doors and ignited his lightsaber. The ocean blue light revealed two poisonous creatures on Padme's blanked; she was asleep and vulnerable. In two swift, precise motiones, Anakin killed them, waking a startled senator.

" Ani..." she let out a sigh" What do you think you're doing!?"

He gave her a look that showed the seriousness of the situation.

" Nothing, save for saving you, obviously!" he said turning the lights on to reveal what had almost happened.

Padme gasped in horror, understanding how close she had come to being murdered... in her own suite, in her own bed, of all places!

The light also revealed the seeker drone that planted the two tubes in the window. The two jedi didn;t waste one second and ran to the balcony, jumped the droid as it made its way back to the owner. A memorable race soon followed, with Anakin "requisitioning" a car from a local, cathing a falling Obi Wan and pursuing the changeling. Everything the assassin tried to use to escape was useless against them. After she ran out of one club, she was cornered by the two jedi and disarmed. Seconds later, she was shot in the neck by an unknown sniper, who flew away right after. The changeling then muttered countless words, barely intelligible: " C-c-count Dooku! J..ja...!" that was all she could say before the poisonous dart claimed her life.

They had one hell of a report to give to the Jedi Council.

Nelo Hivaarr got punched in the face again. The pig-like creatures in Mos Eisley were tough bastards. Without the help of his Force powers, the undercover padawan had to rely on raw martial arts, something that he wasn't an expert in.

After evading a another fist to his face, he rolled backwards, grabbed his blaster, he ended the two brutes with two quick shots. No one else dared challenge him. It was pointless to remain there. He had to find an inn or something, or better, find a moisture farmer that would give him the safety and comfort of a home.

Took him some time, that did, but he found one open minded family. Although they tried to refuse at first, he still dropped them a hundred credits for their trouble. He was thankful for the that night of peaceful sleep; he needed it, after all the pressure of the previous day.

Afterwards, he got lucky. One of the smugglers mentioned having heard that some mercs and a few changelings were meeting with a wealthy contractor in Mos Espa. Nelo Hivaarr used all his mind tricking abilities that he knew and got a location out of them: "Chumpa's bar of wonders" . At long last, a lead for him.

Saddled in his speeder, he crossed the distance between the two cities as quick a possible. He enjoyed the thrill of it. It's not everyday that you get to push a vehicle over 400 kilometers/hour. Just for fun's sake, he lit his lightsaber and slashed a couple of giant boulders in two pieces as he went by. The mostly flat and sand dune filled surface of Tatooine practically begged him to race like crazy; no wonder pod-races were so popular around here.

With all the occasional detours he took, he reached Mos Espa in about two hours. Familiarized with the place's unsavory customs, he knew better than to leave his vehicle in plain sight. So, he burried the speeder one meter deep in the sand, making a mental note as to where he put it.

Walking through the stalls, he tried to appear as calm and level-headed as possible. Still, it was hard enough with the searing heat of the desert, the smell of sweat and cheap perfume, the stench of rotten foodstuff, plus, the sight of so many slaves, women and men, children and old people, being auctioned like animals. Crooks running about, looking for pushovers, smugglers shouting their "merchandise" and so on...

He bought himself a few spare parts for his speeder, a new cloak and some ammo for his DL-44 blaster, just to keep a low profile and his ears open. As he inspected another weapons dealer's stall, he overheard a pair of shady looking characters exchanging a few words, glances, then they entered the nearby bar, " Chumpa's bar".

Nelo made his way inside the bar and found that the pair joined another group, of 13 or so people at a large table in a corner to the left. The bar was remarkably huge, rudimentary, rusted and half buried in the ground to keep the heat away. Even so, it was packed full with people of all sorts and races, masters, slaves, workers, mercs, crooks, plus the occasional visitor(usually a contractor of source).

He sat himself down at a nearby table and signaled to the zabrak waitress to approach. She handed him a dirty looking, torn menu, took his order and left.

Spreading his mock datapad on the table, Nelo played his part in theatrics. On the outside, he looked like he was searching for a contract or a client of sorts. Instead, he was actively listening to what those fifteen nasties were muttering.

" _I'm tellin' ya! It's gonna be a blast, this war!" one said._

" _Bullshit! You keep crapping on about that since we got back from Geonosis!"_

"Geonosis... now that's interesting!" Nelo thought.

" _Oh yeah? Wait 'till Jango calls my gang into the fold! We'll be hanging jedi heads on this here's bar's wall for every idiot here to see, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" another spat, tilting his head to the right, then began to laugh evily._

" That's it... continue you idiots! Spill all your secrets like the simpletons you are!" Nelo huffed inside of himself, as his food and drinks were brought in.

" Looks like my coming here wasn't such a waste after all! May as well make the most of this mission!" Nelo thought as he took a few bites from his bantha steak. " At least the food here is better than what they serve at the Temple's Saturday meals!" he remembered. " Wonder what Skywalker's doing..."

Anakin could barely contain his happiness. He was assigned as a personal bodyguard to senator Amidala, as she opted to retreat to the safety of Naboo. He made a mental note to personally thank Chancelor Palpatine later. It was at his insistence that he was given the job, since master Obi Wan Kenobi was away at the moment.

Padme's summer resort in the lake country of Naboo was immense, beautifully decorated and secluded; just what the two of them needed. Dinner on the terrace, bathing in the sunset was wonderful. He told her stories from his previous apprenticeship years, only bringing up those that were either cool or silly, dependng on her mood. He would crack a couple of jokes in between and use the Force to amaze Padme.

For the night, she changed into a revealing black leather skinsuit which she really liked, not suspecting its effect on Anakin. Women on that particular planet had odd, interesting tastes when it came to fashion, accesories and clothing. Padme herself was caught completly offguard when he confessed his feelings for her. Sure, they were close and he called her his angel, but this was unexpected. She tried to tell him off, arguing that a senator and a jedi weren't a compatible couple. Their respective positions would simply not allow something like this to exist.

Anakin pushed the matter forward, coming up with his idea of a hidden romance; one that only the two of them had to know about. He stood before her, taking her hands into his and kissing them softly and gallantly.

" You now know I cannot live without your love!" he said looking her in the eyes.

" Ohh, Ani, but this will be too hard, too awkaward for me, let alone for you! The jedi will expell you or imprison you the second they find out about us! Our love, our potential marriage and family life would be impossible!"

Anakin lifted his brows and laughed, his mood obviously lightened.

" So you do love me, my angel!" he added with a smile.

" Of course, Ani, but...!" she began, but was cut short by their lips coming together in a quick motion. They couldn't stand it and surrendered themselves to the ignited passion.

That night should have been the happiest for the two of them. Anakin, however, had his dreams plagued by random images of a person being imprisoned and tortured by Tusken Raiders(Sand people of Tattoine). The face was all blury, although that person resembled...

/ **Your mother is in grave peril, close to dying!/** a booming, yet sad voice informed him.

Anakin could not believe that. He hoped that was nothing more than a nightmare.

" _You're speaking nonsense! I don't believe you!"_

The strange, pruple figure sighed and brought his hand forward in a slow, hypnotizing motion. The images became clearer and clearer, the location was obviously a tent of the kriffin Tusken Raiders. Where that may be, he did not know and obviously wasn't shown.

 **/ If only it were that way!/** the voice sighed yet again. **/You should check upon her just to make sure, if you don't believe me,** **son** **!/** it added before disappearing.

Anakin shot out of bed and began hyperventilating. His whole body was trembling, his hands being the worst part. Thinking about what he had seen, what he had heard in those dreams... no, not dreams... visions, panicked him further. Beside him, Padme woke up and asked him what was happening.

Anakin looked at her with utmost worry and anxiety; this was most unusual for him, she thought.

" We are going on Tatooine to find my mother! I hope she's ok!"

 ** _Author's note: That's all, folks! For now, at least!_**

 ** _If you want to be kept up to date with my story, by all means, please subscribe!_**

 ** _Also review and let me know what you think about my story!_**

 ** _Any good ideas will be taken into account when updating! :))_**

 ** _Thank you all for reading my fanfic and may the Force be with you, always!_**


	6. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:** _ **There is another way...**_

 **[Soundtrack suggestion—Blackstar, by Celldweller]**

 **/Also, credit to valentina tincu for her help on this chapter and the creation of a new OC that will appear from now on/**

" Now, how the heck did I end up in here?" Nelo Hivaarr asked his fellow cellmate.

" 'heard you messed with someone you shouldn't have! You know, ordering an expensive steak is just asking for trouble! Dat guy ya pissed off might have slipped something in that meal and drinks of yours!" answered the black skinned, poorly dressed kel dor male beside him, exhaustion visible in both his voice and features.

Nelo Hivaarr had been acquaintened with a few prisons ever since he was allowed to take up missions with his master. Lucky for him, he managed to conceal his jedi identity from those crooks. The downside was that all his stuff, including the datapad in which he hid his lightsaber were confiscated by the #1 merc ring in Mos Espa. He had to recover them before they were sold. Master Erladin would have his hide, should he find out that he lost his jedi weapon- "his life", as the other masters often put it.

" Hey! What would you give me for breaking you out?" he asked his fellow cellmate.

The kel-dorian immediately brightened. The poor guy must have rotten in here for a long time now, given his expression.

" I don't have much... I'm poor, doomed be the damned Hutts, but I'll make it up ta ya anyway I can! I... I know ma way around here and got locked up for selling info. to the Republic on da smugglers here. I'm sure we can work s-something out!" he barely managed to speak, obviously having not spoken to anyone in the common language in a long time.

Nelo looked around him, carefully analyzing the room they were in. The walls were made out of durasteel that was camouflaged to resemble clay. The floor too could not be cut in any way, neither the ceiling. The door that led into their cell was a classical: thick, reinforced steel, incased in stone, with only one visible opening, being the keyhole. The owner had it cheaply built, seeing as he did not use an electronic security system- but then again, it probably was harder to evade out of a classical, steel and stone only room., especially if you weren't a brute.

Hivaarr crawled to the door, the chaing binding his leg to the wall was short and heavy. He stretched himself until his right hand made contact with the door; that's all he needed.

Next thing the other prisoner saw was a strange air current work its way through the padlock until... the door opened with a crack. Next thing he knew, the strange human beside him closed his fists above their chains and they both just... snapped. They then got up.

" After you!" Nelo bowed to the man, who could only smile at his dumb luck.

" A jedi! Now, who dared hope I'd get so lucky? This way!" the kel-dorian said, leading Nelo through the compound. Along the way, the pair freed all the other prisoners, giving birth to a massive riot. That would be a good enough distraction, for the guards were quickly overwhelmed.

Nelo Hivaarr used his Force speed to reach the chief merc's office and recover his posessions. The cursed bastard shot at him the second he got inside the lavished room and the padawan was pinned behind a nearby durasteel wall.

" You'll die like so many others before you!"

" When will you guys learn not to mess with a jedi?" Nelo asked rhetorically, got up and Force pulled the rifle in his hands, shot the guy in the stomach and then approached the fallen rodian.

" Now you will tell me where my stuff is!" the padawan asked patiently, waving his in a mind tricking move.

" I will tell you that your stuff is in the safe under the desk; code of access: **4ABZHJT%%A##**

Hivaarr quickly got to the desk, pushed it aside and revealed a safe under the carpet, buried in the floor. After inputting the Code, Nelo got his stuff back, plus a ton of credits that he gathered inside two large bags he found laying in the room. Also laying in a showcase on the wall was an exquisite E-11 modified, long range sniper file with replaceble charges; a rarity.

" Nice loot you've got here! Too bad it's not yours anymore!" he mused and turned to the dying fool. " Any last requests?"

After a twenty seconds long, incredibly creative insult, Nelo shot him again, this time in the head, so that he may not suffer needlessly. Rightful judgement has been passed. Indeed.

Reunited with the kel-dorian, Nelo proceeded to clearing the underground compound of lowlifes and securing the funds of the smuggling ring. Later that day, he used it to buy and free as many slaves in Mos Espa as possible, plus a shuttle for them to be taken to the Corruscant refugee center. As for himself, he bought a suit of armor, something inbetween a mandalorian, a republic and a mercenary design, dark blue towards black, with smooth edges, reinforced plating, laser resistant and loose enough to allow him agile, spontaneous movements. His helmet only allowed for his eyes to be seen. It also had an inputted respirator, that allowed for both air filtering and voice distortion.

After he parted with the kel-dorian Shamak, to whom he entrusted the piloting of the safeguarded slave's shuttle, he even met with Watto, Anakin's former owner, so that he could also free Shmi Skywalker. Surprisingly though, the woman was bought a four years prior by the man that wanted to marry her. His name is Cliegg Lars.

His thoughts at peace, Nelo Hivaarr got his info together and managed to talk with master Erladin about it. The evidence clearly pointed at the Trade Federation and the Separatist movement. Even the receipt was signed by one of the neimoidians working under one of Nute Gunray's advisors.

Master Krav Erladin congratulated his padawan on his task, but was mildly displeased with his potentially chaotic action in Mos Espa. He warned Hivaarr that the Hutts could take this as a threat to their operations and have him killed or captured for his audacity. Returning to the more important issues, Erladin told Nelo that master Obi Wan Kenobi traced one of the assasins to Kamino and that this new evidence would lead to the capture of Jango Fett and, hopefully, to more answers.

After the end of the transmission, Hivaarr returned to the spot where he had buried his speeder, got it out of the sand and cleaned it as best as he could. Afterwards, he took it for a spin outside the city. He loved the new turbo charger that allowed him to jump over ravines and great sand dunes. Plus, the gravity disruptors he just installed reduced any damage from falling from great heights.

Turning his head around, he spotted something shining in the distance. Setting his helmet's zooming device on, he spotted a strange, silver spaceship descending to the surface, not far from Mos Espa, but secluded enough so as not to attract unwanted attention. The craft was too luxurious to be here for sightseeing, meaning that it was either lost or was forced to land. Worst case scenario, someone stole it from some royalty. Pushing the pedal to the floor, he raced towards that place, but along the way, he felt a presence... someone watching.

He stopped his speader dead in the tracks and looked around. At first glance, there was nothing amiss. On a second, more careful look, it was true; someone was stalking him. There was a figure clad in a beige cloak a mere twenty meters away. The cloak hid every detail of her appearence, save for her eyes. Using the zoom function of the helmet again, he managed to record a few details: by the shape of the nose, the eyes, the nature of what little skin was visible, it was humanoid; most likely human. By the shape of the body, it was a female. Her force signature was hidden from his senses. Was she actively keeping him out? Was she force sensitive? There was a menacing air to her presence, a coldness he had not felt before( and feeling cold in a desert is a very, VERY bad sign).

Curiosity got the better of him and he got off his speeder. His hand resting on his lightsaber, he closed the distance between them, trying to get a better view. Just so, he removed his helmet's visor as he was five meters away from her.

The two just watched each other in silence. It resembled two predators measuring each other, looking for weaknesses or any important details that might be of use to them. Nelo could definately felt colder, even moreso, now that he was under the gaze of those intense, dark emerald eyes that resembled the haunting woods of Kashyyyk. Taking a deep breath, he added power and determination to his own gaze. His body drew Force particles around him and radiated briefly.

Just then, as mysteriously as she appeared, the stranger became engulfed in a sandstorm and she was gone. Strange...

Shaking away his uneasiness, he got back to his speeder and in a few minutes he was beside the royal ship.

Anakin Skywalker was the last person he expected to be on that ship, as the platform was lowered. Still covered by his mask, armor and cloak, Nelo decided to pull a prank on his dear old friend. After he hid his lightsaber in the arm compartiment of his armor, he took up his sniper rifle and pointed it directly at the older padawan's face.

" Alright, you good for nothin' outsider, hand her over!" he shouted, his voice slightly modified and distorted by the mask.

Anakin obivously tensed at thewords and his hand went to his lightsaber, but Hivaarr shot the spot between his feet, the npointed the gun at Skywalker's head yet again.

" Not a move, jedi scum! You'll dance to my song or die! Now hand her over!"

An unnerving silence befell them. None dared make the first move, instead waiting for the other's first miscalculation. That duel of nerves lasted for about two minutes, that is, until a foreign voice was heard coming from the back of the ship.

" Ani, what's with all the...- OH, MY!" a young woman shouted in fear, as he saw what was happening.

Nelo turned his head towards her, all the while paying attention to Anakin smallest of getures.

" The senator of Naboo! How... thoughtful of you to spare me the trouble of searching the galaxy for you! Now, if you value your pretty life, you'll leash your jedi puppy and come peacefully!" Hivaarr warned her.

Not a second later, he was violently Force pushed by Anakin into the speeder, dropping his rifle along the way. Skywalker then lit his lightsaber and was about to slice the would-be assassin's head off, when he was blocked by a golden yellow lightsaber and an all too familiar laugh.

" HA-HA-HA! Gotcha there, nerf herder!" Nelo said, as he removed his visor and his voice changed to its normal tone.

" What the heck do you think you're doing, Hivaarr!?" Anakin fumed.

" Why, testing senator Amidala's security apparatus, what else?" he answered all smiling, before Force pushing the other padawan away. He then discarded his cloak and took off his helmet. " Now really, I was sent here to track down a lead on one of the assassins involved in the recent bombing of her highness's shuttle!" he continued on a dead serious tone. " My job is all but done. The question is, what are you two doing here?"

Anakin exhaled and told him what had happened, save for the romantic chapter between him and Padme. His friend listened closely to his story, made a few comments, but was stunned by that last part; _the dreams._

"... Visions... I've read about them and they aren't to be ignored, plus that figure that warned you probably means business... a Force ghost, that is... , so, what are we waiting for?" Nelo spoke with a pondered, that cool, calculating, thoughtful tone of his.

He then spotted a still nervous Padme. He approached her, bowing respectfully, in a nabooan manner. That calmed the former queen quite a bit.

" Pardon my insolence, your highness, but I felt that messing with Skywalker here was a necessity. After all, we have been like brothers for, what, five or six years? Yeah, kind of!" he smiled and gave her one of his most friendly looks, then extended his hand. " I am Nelo Hivaarr, padawan to jedi knight Krav Erladin, your highness!"

After a few moments of silence and confusion, Padme shook his hand and properly presented herself as well.

Now that they were acquainted, the trio headed towards Watto's shop, were they squeezed the information on the Lars family's whereabouts. They spent the next two hours reaching that isolated place in the middle of kriffin nowhere.

Cliegg greeted them and was glad to meet his stepson, so were Owen, his son and Beru, his soon to be daughter-in-law. Sadly though, Cliegg Lars had to inform Anakin that his mother was kidnapped a month ago by Tusken Raiders. Skywalker's face dropped at the news and was about to Force choke Cliegg for it, but Hivaarr slapped him. Anakin got angry, but a voice in the corner of his mind begged him to listen to the heartbroken farmer in front of him.

Cliegg explained that he did all he could to save Shmi, his love. The mob he raised, plus the four mercs he hired were ambushed by the very same Raiders and slaughtered. Only he survived, but at the rpice of losing his left leg, which he showed as proof.

Anakin let out a sinister growl, slammed his fist into the table, his eyes filled with the most bitter of tears. The other five people in the room looked at him with worry. His agony was too much to bear. Padme pulled him into an embrace, while Nelo stood up and made for his speeder.

" Where are you going?" Owen, Anakin's stepbrother asked, running to him.

" To save one that you have lost hope for!" were Hivaarr's words, as he turned and looked at Anakin with grief.

Skywalker must have felt something, because he left Padme's embrace and got a killer's calm stance plastered over his face. It was as if all emotions were suddenly drained and replaced with... cold, nothingness... no, not that... it was thirst for revenge.

Nelo said nothing, as they both climbed onto the speeder and he started dribing at maximum speed, heading off to a few possible Tusken Village locations. Anakin insisted on driving, but Nelo declined, since this was his speeder; so, the older padawan was forced into the back seat, ironically.

The 16 year old padawan felt the Force push him in a certain direction. Hunches like this one were not without a meaning, as he had often read. Their journey was long and tiresome, but by nightfall, they could see the domed village situated on a plateau, surrounded by low mountains. Deciding it was best to continue on foot, they hid the speeder in a cave, then approached the raiders quietly.

Nelo could sense Anakin's stress and anger and advised him to get it under control, lest they'll be spotted. The older padawan looked at him with empty eyes, but eventually complied. The two of them sliced down a few of the guards, then hid their bodies in the sand. Extending their Force senses, they managed to pinpoint Shmi's location. She was being held in some kind of temple-like tent.

After cutting a hole through the structure, they snuck inside and found the barely alive woman tied to a pole, dry and wet blood all over her.

" Mom!" Anakin rushed to her side and freed her from her bondage. He brushed the dirty hair off her face and called out to her, but no answer. His head fell to her chest. He wrapped his arms around his only family and began to cry.

Just then, Shmi managed to open her eyes and mutter her son's name. Her voice was incredibly weak, after all the things she endured at the hands of those wretched savages.

Nelo Hivaarr felt miserable, as mother and son had their last words with eachother. He wished he could do something, anything to help the one wh has been his brother all those years now. But he felt the woman was dying and the Force wouldn't allow him to intervene; to heal her... not the light side.

 **/ What of the Dark Side?/** a foreign voice from beside him asked. **/ It preys on emotions, while it allows one access to a different level of power, if he is worthy to wield it!/** the figure added and then dissipated.

Now he was really confused, for lack of a better word. He knew that dark side powers were dangerous, addictive and the user had to be emotionally trained and incredibly stable and disciplined to use them wisely. Plus, the Jedi Order forbids such thinking; it forbids attachments just for this reason.

... His brotherly bond with Anakin vs. the teachings of the jedi and the voews to abide by them...

Cursing himself for his decision, Nelo pushed a protesting Anakin aside and punched him in the face, getting him all angry. Set upon murder, to be honest. Hivaarr's right eye then turned sith yellow, as he grabbed Skywalker by the neck and drained his chaotic Force energy. The latter's face paled after he calmed down enough to look upon the younger padawan's face. He felt a tinge of fear.

Nelo took a deep breath, let go of Anakin, then pressed both his hands on Shmi's heart and forehead. Red, green, azure and white lights flowed from his body to hers, slowly, but surely closing the wounds, purging any infections and restoring vital energies.

Anakin could not believe it. His brother was healing his mother and it was working. He tried that a few minutes prior, but it was useless, for his powers wouldn't do his bidding.

" So how come you are able to do this?" he found himself asking aloud.

Hivaarr spoke no word, but returned the gaze. It was then that Anakin felt an incredible fear surrounding him. The power he saw emanating from that one glare sent ice-cold shivers down his spine.

" _Oh, no! Sith yellow... but why only one eye? Wait! The other one is slowly changing its colour as well. Does this mean..."_ he asked himself, before he decided to take action.

" No! Nelo, you must stop, or you'll fall to the dark side and never come back! PLEASE!"

That seemed to have gotten through to him, as the powers waned and both his eyes returned to their normal purple colour. His midnight black hair was all ruffled. A second later, his body shook violently, because of the exposure to that kind of influence and because of his efforts.

Still, it was worth it, since they were both embraced by a rejuvenated Shmi.

 _ **Author's note:**_

 _ **Helloooo, my dear readers!**_

 _ **Thank you for viewing my fanfic and special thanks to my followers!**_

 _ **As always, I have tried to interweave Nelo's story with the canon and, as you have seen, there have been a few plot modifications. It is, after all, a fanfiction, is it not? ;)**_

 _ **Also, I'll start adding some songs that me and Nelo like, in order to create an appropriate environment.**_

 _ **Now then, if you have any questions or suggestions, please send review or send me a PM! Help is appreciated, my fellow Star Wars fans!**_

 _ **See you next time!**_


	7. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:** _ **Clearing your own path...**_

The two of them remained in Shmi's embrace for a long period of time. She just couldn't believe that she was still alive, yet here she sat, holding her son close to her- not only her son, but also this strange, but kind hearted boy that accompanied him.

Her heart was filled with joy and the will to move forward, to do as much good as possible, to watch over her family.

Nelo Hivaarr heard her thoughts and that made him shiver even more. She caught wind of his uneasiness.

" What is wrong, dear? We'll all be ok, thanks to the both of you!" she said looking him in the eyes.

Nelo, however, looked away. His voice was no more than a sad whisper:

" If only it were so!"

"What do you mean by that, dear?" she pried.

" Anakin" he said turning to his brother by oath, "Miss Skywalker, I'm terribly sorry!" he answered fearfully, turning his head to the side yet again.

" What are you talking about, Nelo? You saved her life and I owe you, little brother!" Anakin spoke, smiling, as he shook him by the shoulders.

Again, Hivaar looked away and his shivers returned. His voice was now resigned to whatever fate he expected.

" You'll kill me anyway, so why not?" he told Anakin, then turned to Shmi. " Miss Skywalker, you only have a couple of days of life left!"

The news came crashing down like a battlecruiser on huge castle of glass on both of them, especially on Anakin.

" _He seemed so happy, so hopeful, just a few seconds ago...! Existance seems to have a cruel way of messing with our limited lives. Just when you think you can let out a sigh of relief, the worst situations will surface! I'm so sorry he has to go through this, but it would be worse otherwise!"_ he thought.

 _ **/ It's alright! You have done more than it can ever be asked of you- of anyone! He deserves those days of reunion with his mother, trust me!"/**_ the strange, cloaked, purple figure told him, before dissipating like last time.

"... NELO! Look at me!" Anakin shouted and shook him from his thoughts.

" Y-y-yes, yes, what is it, man?" he answered, still trembling to some degree.

" Thank you! I may only have a couple of days left, but even so it is an incredible gift! You are a good boy and your heart is as gentle as my Ani's. Don't be disappointed that you couldn't do more!"

She then turned to her son.

"And Ani, dear, don't hate him for not doing more! Believe me, I'm glad to be alive, I truly am, although even I feel that it's unnatural!" she said cupping his right cheek." Now, let's get out of here!"

The three of them didn't waste one more second and exited the tent. As soon as they did that, however, the alarm was sounded in the village and Tusken warriors were hot on their heels.

Nelo chose to remain behind and buy the other two enough time to escape. Reluctantly, they let him and were on their way towards the concealed speeder. Meanwhile, Hivaarr activated his lightsaber and took a defensive Form V Shien position. Well, the odds weren't obviously in his favour! The entire population of the said village showed up with cudgels, bullet rifles and a few blasters. In total, 200 Tusken Raiders, more or less armed, approached him. Their strange growls and sounds echoed in the chilly desert night. The padawan wasn't afraid. Not too much, anyway. The golden yellow light of his saber illuminated the place. The weapon's hum seemed rather hypnotizing, given the brief moments of eerie silence that preceeded the storm that would soon be unleashed.

Unbeknowst to Nelo, he was being stalked by that same strange figure from yesterday. The tall, slender woman with strange, hyper green eyes was still covered in her beige robes, which offered her the perfect camouflage. She smirked. A most interesting battle will unfold. The padawan was an even more interesting fellow, from what she had gathered. He wasn't your usual out-of-the-book jedi. He wouldn't have freed an entire town's worth of slaves in a single afternoon, otherwise. He also sliced down the guards, probably pillaged their coffers and buying the said slaves the ticket to get offworld. She shouldn't care so much for a such a gesture, but deep down, she wanted to thank him. Well, not attacking him until now and remaining in the shadows was her special way of saying thanks.

" I will give you this one chance to surrender and/or mind your own business!" Nelo said in common, before switching to Tusken language and repeating himself. His buffer-like mind absorbed the few manuals that had any expertise on such rare languages. The one he read was 1000 years old, but this species hasn't shown any trace of progress in the past, so it probably didn't change much, if at all.

The crowd surrounding him went silent for a few moments, before turning to laugh at his attempt of mercy and readying their weapons.

" Well, you had your chance. Now, it's Jedi time!"

Nelo used Force speed to enable himself to slash through the many hostiles. His lightsaber cut swift, merciless, mainly because they had refused such a privilege. The padawan deflected the laser bolts back at their shooters. Next, he dashed underneath a Raider, just to emerge behind him and cut down those circling him. The enemy's numbers were dwindling, but so were his energy reserves. He began gasping for air. All his efforts were by now switched to defence.

Throwing a glance over his shoulder, he saw an opening, so her started falling back, the enemy right on his tail. The Dark Side was pulling at him, whispering tales of great power, but he shut it up, locking the urge back in its prison.

The hidden figure felt the conflict inside Nelo and frowned to herself. He locked away the best and easiest way out of his predicament; typical jedi!

Again, Nelo deflected a few shots before receiving a couple of laser bolts in his left shoulder, just beneath the armor plating; just his bad luck. Groaning in pain, he threw a smoke grenade at his feet. The diversion worked. He was able to get away and call Anakin for help with his wrist transmitter.

A mere two minutes later, Anakin brought the speeder bike up to him, grabbed Nelo, who seated himself behind Shmi, then the trio escaped.

 _Three hours later..._

They reached the Lars homestead a bit before dawn. Owen was the one keeping watch in their absence. Suddenly startled by the engine sounds, he gazed into the distance. He couldn't believe his eyes.

" They came back! DAD, BERU, MISS PADME! They're back! he shouted happily. The other residents of the house woke up, got dressed and bursted out of their respective rooms.

They all watched in awe as Anakin stopped the speeder and carried a LIVING Shmi into the house and onto the closest bed. Falling in step behind him was an exhausted Nelo. The boy fell flat on his face and drifted to sleep on the sandy floor.

" Is he going to be alright?" Padme asked worriedly.

" I think so! He's done this before, when he used up all his energy." Anakin reassured her.

Owen and his fiance, Beru, grabbed the teen by his hands and legs, laying him down on Owen's bed. he didn't even budge or make a sound, save for his almost silent breathing.

" It's good to see that all of you are doing so well!" Shmi began, as they gathered around her. Tears of joy were flowing down her cheeks. " I thought I'd never see you again, yet here I am, thanks to my Ani and his little brother!" she said smiling.

" Little _brother_?" the others asked in confusion, but then understood whom she had meant.

" Mom, I have so much to tell you! I've missed you all these years!" Anakin mumbled, embracing her and kissing her forehead and cheeks fondly.

" I'd like to hear all about what you've done so far, my dear!" she said patiently and smiling with encouragement." And who might you be...?" she asked Padme before taking her giving her a more careful glance. She then remembered. " Padme? Is that you?"

The young senator returned the smile and embraced both her and Anakin.

The day passed quite quickly, none of them even realizing it. They all talked about the past, reminiscing each and every worthy tale, all ears attentive, especially to Anakin's apprenticeship tales.

He eventually mustered the courage to tell them about Padme, about their love, relationship and plans of marriage; a secret one at that. No one objected. In fact, all those present offered their congratulations, encouragement and support. Shmi herself gestured for Cliegg to bring her her casket. Opening it, she retrieved a necklace made out of a wonderfull crafted, turquoise _**Desert's Raindrop**_ pearl. It was her way of giving them her blessing.

Padme accepted the gift and immediately put it around her neck, then expressed her gratitude.

The first of the two extra days ended, everyone feeling too tired to go on, so they went to bed. Ironically, that's when Nelo Hivaarr woke up. Not feeling sleepy, but rather in need of finding a place to quiet his thoughts, he exited the homestead and went for a walk, his armor off, back in his room, but with his lightsaber in hand.

" _Master Erladin entrusted me with this mission and everything went more or less haywire! I... I almost lost it a couple of times. Damn, Nelo, focus_!" he berated himself.

His steps took him away from the main house and close to the white, stone walls that bordered the Lars's land. The darkness of the night was calling to him, the brightness of the stars was calming and managed to get his thoughts back in order, somewhat.

" _But still, I've used a forbidden power. I'm already tainted by the Dark Side. I'll have to learn how to control it or better yet, not use it again!"_ he told himself.

His transmitter beeped. It was a coded message from master Erladin. It informed Nelo that with the data he gathered, the Jedi were able to destructurate three dangerous, very influential crime networks on Corruscant. Also, master Kenobi was still investigatin Kamino for traces of Jango Fett, but no report from him yet.

Nelo Hivaarr sat down on the fence, fished his music player out of his pocket, put his headphones on and selected his favourite playlist. It included some brand new electronic music, that he was very fond of. **[Playing:** _ **Celldweller- "It makes no difference who we are"]**_

The guitar riffs and synthesizers worked wonders for his mind and body, realxing him on the spot.

" _No price too great, no distance too far_

 _If we could wish upon a Blackstar_

 _It makes no difference who we are_

 _When we have wished upon a Blackstar_

 _When we have wished upon a Blackstar_

 _They'll grant our wish upon a Blackstar!"_

He sang while turning his head to the sight above him. He admired the stars. Lost in the beauty of the song, he was also marveled by the endless lights that flickered in the skies. How many wonders, how many dangers, surprises did the Universe offer? Not one being may ever comprehend it. He could feel the infinite matter flowing through his body, mingling itself with every other particle surrounding him. Be it sand, rock, moisture, air, metal or flesh, everything was connected in a way, was part of a grand scheme of things simply regarded as the _**Force.**_

Such philosophical thoughts weren't his alone, but many of the previous jedi and even some of the sith, like Revan, Malak, Nihilus and Kreya admitted it. It payed off that he had some kind of higher clearence when regarding the archives.

Would he be a key component of some grandoise plan, one that went past the petty conflict in the Republic at the moment?

That was the one million credits question.

It was morning when Nelo returned. His whole demeanor was more peaceful, so the others put their worries aside. Hivaarr looked at Anakin, carefully taking notice of his smallest of getures, his aura, his disposition. It was true then. Even with the limited time his mother was gifted with, Skywalker was appreciative of Nelo's efforts.

The sixteen year old padawan took his seat at the table and ate the special occasion stew that Beru had kooked. He didn't realise he was that hungry, not before he finished half a pot all by himself, earning himself a chuckle from Padme, Owen and Beru.

Anakin and Cliegg were sitting beside Shmi's bed, continuing yesterday's conversation. She was feeling so alive, yet she knew her time would be up by the next sunrise. All three of them took notice of Nelo as he approached and they each gave him a wide, appreciative smile.

" _Just how much hapiness can one gesture bring!"_ he thought and smiled in turn.

" Good morning, miss Skywalker! How have you been doing?"

" No need to be formal, dear! Just call me Shmi! After all, my Ani considers you his brohter by oath. That makes you my son as well!"

" Now dear- she said to Cliegg-, would you mind leaving us alone for a time, please?"

Lars kissed his forehead and left the room at once, understanding her need of privacy.

" Not them. Nelo dear, Ani's been telling me of his adventures. So, why don't you tell me yours?" she asked with a curious tone.

" I-I don't think I should take up your time with..." he staggered, but she cut him short.

" Nonsense! It is my choice to spend a part of that precious time hearing my stepson's marvelous stories! Now then, where do they begin?"

Although timidly at first, the sixteen year old laid out everything, from his earliest encounter with the Force, to the duel with Windu; from the time he befriended Anakin until now, not forgetting the peacekeeping missions he took part in.

As the day went by, the trio's conversation turned to a more casual tone, each of them speaking his or her mind about every little thing that came to mind. Anakin especially, was intent on marying Padme and fulfilling that promise he had made to her ten years ago. Nelo raised an eyebrow at the news, but laughed it off the next second. Of course it was meant to happen, it had been the second he met them on Tatooine a couple of days ago.

" The perfect couple! A mystery worthy of a great novelization!" he mused, spreading his arms out in a theatrical manner.

Given Anakin Skywalker's reprimanding glare, he backed down a bit, though still keeping the smug grin on his face.

" That's ok with me, but only if I get to be your best man at the wedding!"

" Now, Nelo, I don't think me and Padme should be attracting that much attention...!" Anakin put his hands out, trying to refuse, but a displeased cough from his mother put him in his place.

" AHEM! I believe I didn't hear that right, Anakin Skywalker? You meant to take Nelo as your best man, yes?" Shmi spoke with a demanding tone, giving her son a _no-bullshit-allowed_ glare.

After a few moments of hesitation, the 20 year old padawan agreed and apolgized for being an egoistical ass. Hivaarr, in turn, swore he'd guard their secret with his life, if need arose. Just as the word _life_ came out, his expression turned into a sad one. A moment of silence soon followed. With all that normalcy that befell them in those two days, they had almost forgotten about the gravity of the situation. Shmi Skywalker-Lars pushed those thoughts aside. Instead of cowering in fear, crying about her fate, she chose to stand up. Strangely enough, she was able to walk on her own pretty well.

" It's time for a family dinner! I want all of us to sit down at the table and enjoy the moment!"

She cut off Anakin's protests with a hand gesture. Less then half an hour later, they had all gathered in the kitchen for a last supper, as some would put it. Remarkably, Shmi looked... at peace, filled not with dread of her impending doom, but with serenity, acceptance.

Everyone's mood lightened up in due time. After they had eaten Beru's delicious vegetable soup, they started discussing not about the past, but about the present and, moreso, the future. Owen was excited to marry Beru after the next harvest, when they would have had the necessary money for such a festivity.

It was then that Nelo remembered that he still had quite a heavy purse. He did empty a gangster's safe, after all! Taking a sneaky glance at one of the bags of shniy coins and chips, he counted over three thousand Republic Credits and five thousand Tatooine endorsed "Wupiupis". That whole sum was more than enough to buy yourself a good, sturdy, second hand, yet armed spacecraft, the like he had seen in Mos Eisley. Having material posessions was strictly limited by the Jedi Council, as the former would prove to be unnecessary distractions. Plus, one could get too greedy once in a while- or more often- and that was unacceptable.

A small part of Nelo regretted squandering the money on small time stuff and that cargo ship, but he pushed such egoistical thoughts aside. It was his moral duty to help those poor souls make it out of this sandy hellhole.

Returning to the matter at hand, he registered a small sigh from Beru. She confessed to being disappointed that she and her family could not afford to bring a dowry into their marriage arrangement. It was customary that the bride bring her share of goods, land and/or money into the new household.

Yet again, Nelo surprised those around him by reaching to one of his bags and counting about two thousand Wupiupis, before handing them over to Beru, who has amazed by the geture.

" That should amount to an acceptable dowry for you, Beru dear!" Hivaarr said, placing the heavy bag next to her plate. The clinging sounds of the golden and silver coins silenced the small talk at the table.

Cliegg Lars was the first to politely refuse this act of kndness, Owen right behind him, but Nelo wouldn't have it any other way.

" Call it my wedding gift to you, if you like! I have no real use for the coins, for I am a jedi; but you do! Please, accept it!" the sixteen year old padawan insisted, his expression and gaze sincere, his voice, enlightened and warm... comforting.

After the bewilderment dissipated, they did accept the gift.

Shmi was looking proudly at him. Such a generous, selfless and caring young man would be a good influence on her Ani. It would also serve him and Padme to have a friend to confide in. She smiled at the thought of the two kids marrying each other, based on a ten year old promise that did not falter as time went by. Truly, the Force- as the Jedi Master Qui-Gon-Jinn named it- really did work in mysterious ways, one of which was her conceiving Ani in the first place.

As the pitch black darkness of the night settled in, they lead Shmi back to her room and, despite her protests, chose to remain overnight at her bedside. Not one of them would shy away from such an obligation.

" Thank you for everything, all of you! Please, do continue with your lives and seek happiness and fulfilment! The cycle of life and death must go on! Farewell and stay safe and true to your hearts!" she said her goodbyes to them, before leting the peaceful darkness of the sleep envelop her.

She realised that this was to be her last sleep, one that she would never be able to wake up from, but it did not trouble her. She had earned the right to rest and leave those that she loved move on towards what destiny had instored for them.

Shmi Skywalker-Lars then gave her last, relieved, breath and passed away.

 _ **Author's note:**_

 _ **And... yes, it had to happen this way... sorry Anakin! :(**_

 _ **In the next chapter I will move on to Geonosis. A bit of modifications are bound to be done to the original script- fanfic stlye! But it will be mostly similar to the movie.**_

 _ **Thank you for viewing my fanfic and special thanks to my followers!**_

 _ ***Credits for the song and lyrics go to Klayton(Celldweller)***_

 _ **-Also, for those of you that are fans of the Jedi Knight game series, I have another story going on that I will begin to update next week. It's called "Path of the Dark Jedi Jaden Korr".**_

 _ **(+)Apart from that, there is also my Starcraft story, dubbed "Lost and Found Remnant UED forces in the Koprulu Sector". Have a look, if you're curious about it! :)**_

 _ **Now then, if you have any questions or suggestions, please send review or send me a PM! Help is appreciated, my fellow Star Wars fans!**_

 _ **See you next time!**_


	8. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:** _ **Attack of the clones-part 1**_

They buried her in the morning. he wind around them picked up, as if to give a greater symbolism to the heart-breaking moment. As they lowered the coffin into the four meters deep pit. Anakin couldn't hold back a few tears. In fact, no one could. The Skywalker boy threw the first handful of sand on top of the wooden surface of the coffin. Nelo and the others followed suit, before Cliegg began shoveling the pile of sand back into the pit. Soon, the grave was ready.

One of Owen's friends was an expert on engraving, so he took care of the tombstone. It had been hastily, yet skillfully done, with stylized writing that would take at least a hundred years to wither.

Anakin, Padme and Nelo felt that this was the time to part ways with the Lars family. Anakin called Artoo on his wrist communicator and the faithful droid brought the silvery Naboo Royal Fighter to their doorstep. A few beeps and other strange binary sounds informed Skywalker that master Obi Wan had sent a short-wave distress signal. The message was bound for Corruscant and the Jedi Temple, but R4's damaged antenna, plus the greater distance between Geonosis and the capital world of the Republic didn't make things easier.

Nelo sat himself in the copilot's seat, looking over the controls and then back at Anakin. To be honest, he was worried for his brother-by-oath. Taking another mission-two at once, actually, if he counted the senator protection duty-, after such an emotional shock did not bode well. Imagine what would have happened if Shmi hadn't been gifted with those two extra days...

Shaking away his doubts, Nelo Hivaarr glanced over at Padme, who returned an encouraging smile that inspired him to concentrate on the mission at hand.

" Anakin, if we are going to go help master Kenobi- on Geonosis, of all the places-, then I will have to gather up some gear from Mos Eisley!"

" Gear?" Skywalker raised an eyebrow and turned to face him, not expecting that inquiery. " Hivaarr, you, we are Jedi. Our witts, the Force and what weapons we have are more than enough to rescue Obi Wan!"

Nelo shot him an all-knowing look, combined with a bit of annoyance on his part. His tone was a bit demanding, but he couldn't control it. He had to say his piece.

" Anakin, you, of all people, should know better than to go to a party uninvited, without taking the necessary precautions! For all we know, master Kenobi might be under attack from hords of enemies, held in a cell or in a cage or what else. I need ammo, grenades, lockpicks, weapon parts, jammers, the like! You and Padme could use some too!" he pointed out, stressing the importance of planning ahead for every possibility.

For the next two hours, the trio browsed around the many stalls in Mos Eisley's market district, haggling at every turn for what they were after. With more than enough money at their disposal, they acquired what they sought:

Nelo upgraded his armor by adding laser resistant plates to it, plus a new combat shield generator. Apart from that, he stocked up on thermal detonators, remote controlled explosives, grenades, ammo and other small bits of equipment that he thought might prove useful. When all was well and done, he looked like a mandalorian renegate merc- partially, at least.

Anakin bought Artoo a more performant antenna and two extra mini-hands to help him in the future. As for himself, he chose a new, spare transmitter, which he tucked away in his utility belt. Unlike Hivaarr, he didn't need a lot of gear to get the job done. Sometimes he wondered why his little brother ever chose to become a jedi, given his predilection towards weaponry and unorthodox methods.

Padme, being the woman she was, bought herself a beautiful dress; brown, black and gold carefully and skillfully interwoven and embrodied with diamonds. That and the matching low-heel platform sandals caught her eyes, so Nelo had no choice but to fund that purchase. As for more practical stuff, the senator chose four sets of lockpicks of different sizes and types, which she hid in her white environmental protection suit and in her hair. Add to that a new DL-45 blaster with afferent munition.

All set, they returned to the ship and relayed and amplified Obi Wan's signal to reach the Temple. Just to be sure, Hivaarr also sent his master a message, before setting the coordinates for Geonosis.

It had taken them four and a half hours to reach their destination. During this time, both Nelo and Anakin took to meditating in order to clear their minds and focus on the objective at hand.

As they reached the planet's surface, Padme noticed a series of exhaust towers, indicators of factories. Nelo hoped she wasn't right in her judgement, since he had read a bit about geonosian history- they were renowned weapon makers, smiths and the like.

" This isn't looking good!" Hivaarr admitted. " Artoo, see if you can pinpoint R4's location. He ought to be guarding master Kenobi's starfighter!"

The droid connected itself to the ship's interface, using the scanners to sweep the area for any clues. It didn't takle long for the signal to be found. The nabooian royal starfighter was being led to a narrow valley, surrounded by mountains, not too far from one of the exhaust towers. A bit of turbulence during the landing, but nothing too serious.

Skywalker, Amidala and Hivaarr got their gear ready and exited the ship. R2D2 and C3PO were told to remain and guard their only means of escape. No one knew what might happen along the way, so they needed to be prepared. No beeping protest from the small astromech could ever change the trio's mind; Threepio was practically ignored.

Anakin lead the way, his seasoned eyes carefully scrutinizing the mountainside. He knew there had to be a way inside...

" There!" Nelo pointed out. " My helmet's getting a reading coming from behind that rock!"

Padme rushed to that spot and started knocking at it. Indeed, that was no rock, for it sounded like metal, but was disguised pretty well. The senator got lucky and the door swished open. Turning her head towards Anakin, she shot him a grin. Disbelief was etched in her lover's eyes, but he entered the dank cave.

Inside was hot, humid, the air being... nasty, for lack of a better word. They were walking on some kind of disused assembly line. To the left and right, also above, were numerous alcoves where the geonosians were apparently sleeping. Unlucky for the intrueders, though, they began to wake up.

 **[Playing the song** _ **: Pendulum-Crush**_ **]**

Nelo registered a sound to his right and turned to face whatever was there. One of them creepy insectoid, winged people in front of him growled in response and made to shoot him with his shockwave-handcannon. Hivaarr threw himself to the ground, grabbed his DL-44 and killed the enemy. Many more followed suit. Suit enough, the trio was surrounded.

Anakin lit his ocean blue blade and cleaved his way out, also helping Padme, who herself was no pushover. Nelo, on the other hand, was a marksman. He had a predilection towards using firearms, instead of his trademark golden lightsaber. Scores of geonosians were dead by the time he had to recharge his blaster.

The assembly line started moving, pulling them towards an open door. Anakin called Artoo via his wrist transmitter to come and shut down the damned thing. The astromech could be heard making his way towards them, but he wasn't fast enough. Nearing the end of the assembly line, the trio were greeted with the sight of an immense factory. Thousands, no, tens of thousands of droid components were being mass produced, taken from place to place and assembled by automatic machinery controlled by the insectoid aliens. A seemingless blue of movement in every possible direction, enough to give most sentient beings a headache.

No time to think about any headaches! The line receded, the door behind them closed and they fell on top of the nearest- functional- assembly line; just their luck. The deafening sounds made communication impossible. The waves upon waves of geonosians approaching created a chaos of movements; coordination rendered impossible.

Hivaarr finally lit his golden saber, quickly and thoroughly cutting down any attacker that approached him. Skywalker did pretty much the same thing, while Padme made great use of her DL-45 blaster.

As if things couldn't get any worse, the ground was moving... towards a giant steel press that would crush them. The closest to it was Padme Amidala. The brave young woman swallowed her fear and started running past the deadly obstacles. Careful with her each step, she skilfully avoided the incoming dangers, be them steel presses, purification devices, giant robotic claws or hands, cutting lasers and so on.

Anakin ran after her as soon as possible. Nelo, on his part, was too busy taking out the restless natives to help his brother. Deciding he'd had enough of them, he armed his rifle and started sniping their alcoves, collapsing the damned things on top of their dwellers. Obviously having nothing to lose, Hivaarr activated his lightsaber and started cutting away at the assembly line, piece by frakking piece. First, the smaller arms, then the giant press. If Artoo wasn't going to disable the cursed foundry- or at least the sector they were now traversing-, then he had better do it- his way. Indulging his more destructive side for the first time in a long while, Hivaarr activated a few of his thermal detonators, then threw them at strategic locations. Jumping to the side, he pressed the button on the wireless remote.

 _Further away, at the same time..._

" Padme, watch out!" Anakin shouted as he Force pulled her to his side, saving her from a steel press.

The padawan was lucky to have his lightsaber at his leisure, for it proved to be a formidable weapon in such an environment. Deflecting another volley of laser bolts, he cut down five more geonosians, while Padme shot another three.

" The two of us make a pretty good team, eh, my beloved senator?" he joked and she returned a tender smile. Oh, how he loved moments like this, when he couldn't care less about the worlds around them. He leaned in for the kiss.

Not a second later, an explosion shattered the monotony of the droid factory with a deafening sound. Large pieces of metal-plus a lot of boulders- started falling and crashing themselves into the other levels of the building; line upon line of raw materials, robotic components, half finished and even completed droid models have been destroyed in the commotion.

Padme covered her head in reflex; Anakin did the same.

" Let me guess: that was your little brother blowing everything up, right?" she inquired, folding her arms and tapping her right foot in an annoyed gesture.

" Yep, that's him! I always wondered how he'd tricked the Council into allowing him to attend Republic Army courses, particularly the ones involving weapons, defusals and explosives!" Anakin replied with a snort, bewilderment and amusement in his voice. " I remember he had a few arguments with his master Erladin and the Council because of similar situation... like that time he messed up a merc's illegal weapons deposit on Nar Sheddaa!"

Padme remembered that story well, for Nelo had been proudly presenting his achievements when they were at the Lars homestead on Tatooine. The good hearted boy was a never-ending surprise for both her and her Ani. He was bound to make life more interesting when he was around.

Speaking of which...

A storm of incredibly creative insults could be heard coming from the lower levels, followed by the sounds of an intense battle. Yet again, an explosion.

Anakin himself urged her to move forward and try to find some cover. He himself followed suit, but as his attention was distracted by another wave of natives, a shockwave from one of the handcannons knocked him down.

Landing on the next platform- which by some mysterious means, was still working, despite Nelo's recent havoc- Anakin made short work of the insectoids. His Force powers enabled him to throw countless metalic parts of various sizes at them; a fruitful tactic.

However, the loss of attention on his part proved to be fatal. One of the robotic factory hands hit him straight in the face. He landed on some kind of metal sheet. His right hand, the one holding the lightsaber, was immediately plated over by some of the other hands and claws. Anakin was pinned down, forced to dodge the giant scissors that were portioning the incoming sheets of metal. It took some time, a great deal of patience and steel-hard nerves( no pun intended), but hefinally saw an opening. One of the smaller scale cutters took apart the thing pinning him down on the assembly line. Relieved, Anakin stood up, trying to light his saber. It was only then that he noticed that it was torn in half by the same laser cutter.

" Oh, not again! Obi Wan's gonna kill me for this!" he sighed, before turning to face a lot of geonosians.

Cursing, he threw whatever he could find at them. Unlucky for him, five droidekas( destroyers) rolled out next to him, activated their shields, weapons set on him. Walking out of the shadows of a nearby furnal, a mandalorian shouted:

" Not a move, Jedi!" It was Jango Fett, the one Obi Wan spoke of.

Without a weapon to aid him, Anakin Skywalker was pretty much powerless. Any of these enemies would be easy to beat in a one-on-one or one-on-two battle, but one against six? That was impossible, given the current conditions.

Cursing Nelo for not being at his side in his time of need, he put his hands up in surrender.

At the same time as Anakin took the shockwave face first and fell of the assembly line, Padme was forced into another prudent run through the facility's automated processors Just as she thought she had found a safe spot( a control platform of sorts), a geonosian tried to take her away. Struggling with all her might, she threw him off, but the effort backfired, put her off balance, which in turn got her falling into a giant, fortunately empty crucible( giant container, used to hold molten metals). The thing was then on its way to the furnace, ready to be filled with liquified alloys.

Terrified, Padme started looking for a way out. She tried to climb out, but the walls were damn near impossible to scale and time was running out for the senator. She shouted for help, used her communicator to reach either Ani or Nelo. It was then that she heard that her beloved had been captured by the factory's guards.

" Padme!" Nelo's panting voice could be heard over the comm. " Where are you now?"

" I-I... I'm in one giant container that's going to be taken to the furnace in a short time! Stop this thing; help me!" she cried.

Nelo Hivaarr disposed of another four geonosians, before using his suit to track down senator Amidala's signal. A series of Force powered jumps later and he was at the control panel of the furnace...

"... Of all the damned times! Geonosian wasn't a language I learned! I can't deal with this!" he cursed aloud.

Winded from the recent efforts, he knew he had to come up with an appropiate solution and fast. Looking around, he spotted a stair that lead to some kind of observation tower. After climbing it, he could finally get a good, clear view of the area... and of the disaster he had caused below.

" _Serves them right for mass-producing killer droids!"_ he thought, before turning his attention back at the giant containers. Padme's was approaching fast. He only had one shot at this, so he had to make it count.

Searching his belt, he tied together two climbing cables, just like Anakin did on the " **Trial of a thousand steps** " a few years ago. He then tied one end of it to his rifle, which he safely caught inbetween the sturdy steel bars of the platform.

The container got closer and closer, taking a stop every time one of its forward counterparts was getting filled. As the one holding Padme captive was nearing the observation tower, Nelo shot his climbing cable contraption, informing the senator of his intentions.

Amidala thanked the Force for his help, because that cable allowed her to get out of the container just in time; three or more seconds later and she would have been melt to death.

Groaning in pain, obviously feeling tired and pushed over the limit, Hivaarr slowly pulled her towards the observation tower he was on. Once she reached his position, he collapsed to the floor, panting. The last few days sure did a number on him. Saving Skywalker's damsel in distress emptied a great deal of his remaining energy reserves.

" Thank you for your help, Nelo! Just in time, as always!" Amidala said, hugging her soon to be brother-in-law.

A couple of seconds later, the Force gave Nelo a brief, silent warning in the form of cold shivers. The feeling was too familiar. He had met the one emanating this kind of creepy aura a few days ago, in the deserts of Tatooine. It was no surprise that the snap-hiss of a lightsaber made itself heard, neither that a crimson red beam illuminated the surroundings.

" My lady, I'm calling Artoo! You have to get out of here!" Nelo told Padme as he struggled to get up.

The senator did not want to leave the boy on his own against whatever was coming at them. Ani was captured, so they both needed to stick together and come up with a plan to rescue him.

" I'm not leaving you! We've got to get out of here and find Ani!" she pleaded with him, but then Artoo could be heard flying to them.

The small astromech had the capacity of carrying one and only adult. It was more than enough to get the senator out of immediate danger.

" I'm sorry, my lady, but you have to escape! Take her away, Artoo!" Nelo said with a sad tone, before grabbing the hilt of his lightsaber and the DL-44 blaster he was so familiar with.

Despite Padme's protests, Artoo convinced her to climb on top of him. He then activated his two propulsors, making his getaway. He skillfully avoided any obstacles along the way.

Nelo Hivaarr turned to his soon to be dueling partner. Indeed, it was her. She wore the same attire as on Tatooine. The only new detail about her was the red lightsaber- indicator of a sith or dark jedi for that matter.

Readying himself, the 16 year old padawan activated his own lightsaber. A bright, beautiful golden colour also illuminated the shadows, in stark contrast with its evil looking counterpart.

No one made a move for the next minute. It was as if they were measuring each other up again, gauging for any weaknesses. Of course, their respective clothing didn't allow for most details to be visible. For once, Hivaarr thanked himself for the armor he had bought and modded on Tatooine.

Her soft, silky, yet menacing voice broke the monotonous, hypnotizing hummes of the lightsabers.

" Greetings, young and restless padawan! It seems as if the Force put us against each other once again! Why don't you show me what talents, what hidden powers you possess? You Jedi are interesting beings, but most of you tend to bore me after the first five minutes of combat!"

Nelo snorted. This girl, for lack of a better word or an indicator of her age, was trying to get under his skin. Inhaling deeply, he let the Force flow through his body and purge away the exhaustion. Sadly, it wasn't working as fast or as good as he wished, but it had to do, for now.

" Tell me, girl, what are you? A sithling, a dark jedi who lost her way to petty emotions? Tsk-tsk! What would your masters, your former friends or family say if they saw you?" Nelo retorted, knowing exactly how to press the right buttons. He had read quite a bit about sith, so he remembered that they often couldn't control emotions.

He was partially succesful. The figure tensed, her golden, sith eyes sparked with malicious intent, while her grip on the lightsaber tightened.

" A dark acolyte well on her way to become an accomplished sith!" she answered back, a bit of nervousness etched to her voice. Noticing her outburst, she changed her tone back to that alluring, menacing voice from before. " Funny that you, of all people, should mention friends, family and masters! Not to talk about letting yourself overwhelmed by emotions!" she laughed evily.

 _ **Author's note:**_

 _ **ATTACK OF THE CLONES IS HERE... well, the droid factory scene, for now.**_

 _ **As you have seen, a bit of modifications have been done to the original script- fanfic stlye! But I will keep true to the original script- 70% at least.**_

 _ **Thank you for viewing my fanfic and special thanks to my followers!**_

 _ ***Credits for the song and lyrics go to Pendulum**_

 **As always, I am open to suggestions. Please speak your mind with regard to my story! I'm trying my best here and if you want to be part of it in some way, please say it in the review section or send me a message via PM!**

 _ **(*Advertisement:*)**_

 _ **-Also, for those of you that are fans of the Jedi Knight game series, I have another story going on that I will begin to update next week. It's called "Path of the Dark Jedi Jaden Korr".**_

 _ **(+)Apart from that, there is also my Starcraft story, dubbed "Lost and Found Remnant UED forces in the Koprulu Sector". Have a look, if you're curious about it! :)**_

 _ **(*ad ends here*)**_

 **See you next time, dear Star Wars fans! ;)**


	9. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:** _ **Attack of the Clones- part 2**_

 **[song suggestion for the interrogation:** _ **Celldweller: Gift for you**_ **]**

It was Nelo's turn to tense up. He didn't know what or whom she was reffering to, but he was afraid to ask. Somewhere deep inside of him, an evil voice begged to be released so that the lass would be silenced. Forever! He once again reinforced the prison holding that menace away.

She noticed her momentarly struggle.

" Ah, yes, that particular detail, I forgot to mention! You aren't exactly the law abiding, typical jedi padawan, are you? I've seen what you did on Tatooine! I'm pleasently surprised and genuienly impressed by your mastery of the Force. It's too bad that you keep using the light side. It is the weakest, most degrading and predictable of the two sides! I spit on those who bask in it!"

Hivaarr threw one of his stupid jokes at her, managing to get on her nerves, before beginning his attack.

He would use a classical Form III Soresu to test her battle prowess, before switching to other styles. She was quick to respond, parrying every blow he tried to land on her. At least some time later, it was revealed what form of combat she preffered: II-Makashi, like so very few others. If Nelo's memory was as sharp as he deemed it be, then only master Shaak Ti and former Jedi Master Dooku, the Count of Serenno, used it to such an extent. Since Shaak Ti was the most loyal of the Temple and had not taught any padawan for a long time now, that left only Dooku.

This confirmed Nelo's previous suspicions about the renegade Jedi's intentions.

Dodging one of her horizontal slashes, he jumped backwards, landing on the railing and pointing his golden lightsaber at her.

" Let me guess, you are Count Dooku's pet, aren't you?" he asked-stated- with a mocking tone.

She tilted her head downwards, as if in shame, he thought. Little did he knowthat she was tensing up, gathering, trapping and enslaving Force energy from her surroundings. A stormy cloud of red and black coiled around her being, akin to a snake. Her emerald eyes turned to sickly sith yellow and black veins also extended to her crimson red lightsaber, giving it an electrical, lightning like look.

" Oh, no!" Nelo muttered.

Of all the times he had to meet skilled dark side adepts, it had to be now, when he was exhausted after days of hard work.

" Damn! That's Dark Rage you're using!" he admitted.

His enemy let out an amuzed laugh( more likely a growl, given the taint that was slowly swallowing her up) that echoed in the droid foundry, snuffing out any other noises.

" How perceptive of you, padawan Hivaarr! I'll make this quick and painful! It will all be over soon!"

Dark Rage was a sith ability that few Force users, be them Sith or Jedi, darksiders or lightsiders, ever used. For good reason too, since pit preyed on the user's energy and life force. In return, it granted increased strenght, speed, agility and a certain amount of protection, both from physical and Force powered attacks. Only very skilled and knowledgeble warriors ever used such a technique. Nelo could recall that Revan, Malak, Exar Kun, Meetra Surik and Juhani managed to master it in the past. Of the five given examples, only the latter two, plus Revan were anchored in the light side. Their reccounts of the ability were... disturbing.

The nameless dark acolyte moved with an astonishing speed, adding more Force energy to what the Dark Side offered her. Nelo felt as if he were hit by a stampede of wild beasts. He could barely maintain his grip on his lightsaber, as he was thrown off the tower.

Landing three stories below on one of the assembly lines would have broken his body, were it not for his instinctual use of the Force. No time for a break, though! The dark acolyte closed in, electricity sparkling off her fingers.

Hivaarr couldn't get himself off the ground. His vision started blackening and he had to force himself to stay awake. The sithling extinguished her lightsaber and watched him from above.

" I think a bit of torture is in order!" she laughed evily once again as she unleashed the dreaded Force lightning technique upon him.

Excruciating pain wrecked the 16 year old padawan's body. The voltage was increasing with each second. His limbs were trembling from the shock. His hair was raised in what would in another situation be an amusing afro haircut.

Again, it was instinct more than anything, or rather, some strange voice inside of him that saved his life from the tormenting.

She could feel the wimpering, pathetic form of the padawan try to crawl away from her onslaught. How disgustingly pitiful! Somehow, she thought he would have proven to be a worthy challenge. Maybe he wasn't fighting at fool capacity, seeing as he was tired and all.

That was no excuse for a sith like her. One had to be permanently aware of the dangers around him/her and take them out as they approached. She recalled having been punished thoroughly and repeatedly by her master until she managed to master the hate, fear and resent, honing those emotions into a useful weapon.

" _Could it be that he's hiding his true potential?"_ she asked herself with a frown. That wouldn't be at all surprising, but it was darn right annoying. An idea then popped up _: " Only one way to find out! By increasing the voltage, that is!"_

After jumping off the tower and landing graciously a mere two meters from him, she resumed her Force attack, adding more power to the lightning. He started screaming. The pain would have burned most enemies's throats into utter silence, that even coughing would prove next to impossible. More lightning was added. More pressure on the wimpering, cowardly padawan. He might as well die if he was too weak.

Imagine her surprise when Nelo managed to put his golden lightsaber in the way of the Force Lightning, blocking the attack effectively. Those types of weapons had the distinct ability to reduce such damage, even block it completly. Few Jedi and Sith masters were also able to deflect the attack back at its unexpecting user.

It was getting annoying and she had the distinct feeling that something else was happening. The padawan lost his fearful facade and his eyes sparked with renewed hope and determination.

" How pathetic!" she spat. Hope for what? Besting HER in combat? Not in a thousand years! But, if he would prove himself to be entertaining, then maybe, just maybe, she would spare him.

Nelo Hivaarr had a hard time disguising his Force absorb and Vaapad related techniques from her observant gaze. He only siphoned small amounts of Force energy from the lightning, as well as from her more uncontrolled emotions, such as hate and repulsion. These replenished energy reserves would aid him in the major battle that was certainly coming. The Republic Army, plus the Jedi wouldn't, no, couldn't stand back this time! The Force whispered to him about what he had to do.

A few minutes later, he hid his energy and faked exhaustion. That was one neat trick he had learned from master Yoda's journals. His grip on his lightsaber tightened in what looked like desperation.

Wincing in pain- real pain this time-, he slowly got up and tried to slash at her, but after she deflected his attack, he stumbled after parrying her reply, falling to the floor, right at her feet.

Warily, the dark acolyte hit him a few times with her boot; he didn't budge. She huffed at his pathetic attempt and restrained him, taking him to one of the underground cells.

Meanwhile, Padme managed to reach her ship and send another distress signal, explaining their dire situation and urging them to hurry. The Republic's worst fears have been confirmed, both by her and Obi Wan(previously): The Separatist Movement was gaining ground; add to that a droid army, that, given the potential of Geonosis alone, would be huge.

As she slumped into the pilot's chair, she closed her eyes and let out a worried sigh.

" Owww, Ani! Those creeps got him... and poor Nelo must be wounded by now, captured, or worse...!"

She shook that thought away. Those two padawans who thought about themselves as brothers were talented, level headed, strong, gifted in the Force. They knew how to survive.

Getting out was another thing altogether.

She debated with the two other droids as to how to proceed. Threepio gave a most obvious answer, so typical of his character: fly away to safety or await help from the Republic. Artoo, on the other hand, being the daring, helpful little astromech he was, suggested breaking into the geonosian prison, stealthly.

" But Artoo, we don't have any clue as to where that is!" Padme pointed out with a disappointed tone.

it took only a few more beeps on the small droid's part to give her mood a 180 degrees turn.

" You broke into their network when you connected yourself to that terminal? Clever one, aren't you?" she patted him on his round head-case.

The brave senator laid out her plan in her mind, as she searched the ship for anything that she might use in her little covert operation. Nelo must have left something behind. That teenager had an obsession over military grad gear, so surely there would be...

" YES!" she exclaimed after opening the trunk of his speeder bike. A couple of blasters, some more grenades, a decoder device, knives of different sizes, a tank filled with sleeping gas.

" Were in the name of Naboo did he get all this from? When, how, why...? Well, no matter, it's mine to use now!" she grimaced, but then went to the ship's locker, searching for more gear. She found a space-suit designed for protocol guards. It was reinforced enough to withstand at least a couple of blaster shots. She hoped that she wouldn't get to test that durability.

Putting it on, she marveled in the mirror at the sleek figure it gave her. Being almost skin tight, it kind of accentuated her features. The helmet also hid everything about her facial features, but gave her a nightvision and had an inputted gas mask; just what she was after. Padme gathered whatever she found in Nelo's speeder's trunk and put it in her pockets and backpack.

She and Artoo then returned to that accursed droid factory. If there was one area in which the geonosians didn't excel, it was intelligence( security; no pun intended), or that's what Nelo told them on their way here.

Even with the security codes having been changed, Artoo managed to get them in. The mech led the way, taking his lady through countless abandoned tunnels that descended into the dark reaches of the factory's "basement". She could hear the flutter of wings, plus the strange sounds that the natives were emitting, yet through sheer luck of because of some other distraction, the two of them managed to slip by.

They didn't dare use any form of lighting to chase away the protective darkness that surrounded them in the dark, dry tunnel. Instead, Artoo acted on the info he got, while Padme was holding one of the droid's towing cables, so that she wouldn't get separated from him- and therefore lost.

 _Somewhere near..._

Nelo Hivaarr woke up in a special, Force restricting prison, much to his dismay. He was being levitated, held by his hands and legs by the near invisible electrical emanation of the device. Looking down at himself, he noticed that he had been stripped out of his armor, which lay far into the corner of the nearly empty room. Nearly...

" Oh, so you're awake already!" a voice behind him called.

He didn't need to turn around to find out who it belonged to. The proud dark acolyte looked him over, silently taking in any modifications in his behaviour or appearence. Anything to point out if he had a chance to escape. When she found none, she walked in front of him and resumed speaking.

" Don't bother trying to free yourself, for the bindings are Force resistant!" she used her alluring tone, while glaring daggers at him from her now golden eyes.

Nelo knew that it was essential to stall the sith one way or another; even coerce her into a conversation that would reveal something useful.

" Why would I do that, since it would deprive me of your beautiful presence, my lady?" he asked with a tease.

She tensed at the words, but any other detail about her reactions was dulled by her all-covering cloak. As always, only the area around her eyes was visible.

" How touching! Interrogating you should be fun! Especially since you are now defenceless; completley at my mercy!" she stated, emphasizing the last words. " By the way, padawan, that reminds me..." the dark acolyte drew a very familiar lightsaber which she levitated above her palm for a minute, scrutinizing it.

" I find your choice in weapons to be peculiar, for someone enslaved by the Jedi Order, such as yourself." She flicked it on, the golden plasma lighting the room with a brilliance.

" I've seen blue, green lightsabers being used by your pitiful brethren. Even purple, though that colour is way rarer. This is your first question, an easy one even: Why this colour?"

" Hmmm, a reasonable beginning of a reasonable conversation, my lady!" Nelo said, lifting his head and giving her a smile. " You are correct in your assumption. The place from which most Jedi lightsaber crystals are taken holds the first two colours you mentioned. Those of us that feel that we need an alternative turn to other sources, like master Windu did."

" Where exactly is this place where the crystals are taken from?" the acolyte asked.

" That... I do not know!" he attempted to raise his shoulders to underline that, but he found it difficult, hanging in the air like that. "They didn't tell those that didn't need to know!"

She was starting to lose her patience with him. She wanted to have him lower his guard and give her some useful answers, wether direct or indirect.

" That's all cute and well, but you're avoiding the issue. DON'T, tempt me to punish you thorughly and electrifyingly painfully!" she let a few sparks dance on her fingers to show that she meant business.

" Apologies, my lady! You see, there is a symbolism related to the colours. Gold, in my case, resembles the thirst for knowledge, loyalty and, to an extent, a sort of nobility."

" And rebellion _, to an extent!"_ she interrupted him. I can count on one hand the jdei that wear armor, let alone those that harbor an impressive arsenal of weapons! Let's see..." she rumaged through his tuff. " DL-44 blaster pistol, E-11 sniper rifle, grenades, thermal detonators, vibroknives, lockpicks, jammers... need I continue?" she sounded teasingly bored; obviously to get him off guard.

Nelo Hivaarr reminded himself that he had to hold out as long as possible. By extension, he also had to find out more about his enemy, yet it was risky. Now answering questions could jeoperdize him, Anakin or even master Obi Wan. Answering them truthfully only complicated matters, while half-truths were annoying the dark acolyte. He too, however, had questions of his own for her. He only had to wait for the perfect time to ask away.

" Oh cut it already, will ya? I've had enough criticism about my choices in life!" he answered almost shouting, but then looked away from her.

That did get her attention.

" Had you now? Don't tell me your precious Order rejects your judgement, padawan?" she faked indignation, while dropping his items back into the pile and closing in on him.

" Well, you were right when you said I'm not one of the classical jedi. There usually are more ways to solve a problem than some people- masters included- think!" he stated, still looking away.

That did leave her to ponder his words for a short time. The yellow in her eyes seemed to be fading away; so was her tension, probably her anger too. That did not mean that he was getting off the hook that easily!

" Tell me about you then! Pique my interest and maybe I'll put in a good word for you at the trial!" she spoke normally this time, which was strange. Her voice was somewhere between sad soft and forcefully hardened because of some drama or something.

Watching holo-dramas and all sorts of movies did have its perks after all!

" TRIAL? What, oh, no-no-no-no-no!" he faked panic pretty well.

" Quit that already! You shouldn't be surprised, after all the damage you've caused!"

He could have sworn that that sounded like some creepy sort of congratulation, though he wasn't sure. Perhaps if she would show her appearence- at least her face- then maybe he could get a better guess.

" _Heh, instinct it is, then!"_ he frowned mentally.

" I don't know if my biography would be of interest to a sith lady like yourself, my lady!" he responded, to which she folded her arms, lifted her chin and gave him a dangerous, demanding glare.

" Try me! You'll find out that I can be a good listener!"

" Your call! I was born on Alderaan into a normal, lower-middle class family, with my father being a pilot and my mother being a public guardian. I've been attuned to the Force ever since I could remember!" he smiled at the first memory that came to mind: " There was this one time when my mother was craddling me and I spooked her by lifting her up to the ceiling. My first and best prank on her to date!" he said with a mocking serious tone, then laughed fondly.

 **[Play song** _ **: Celldweller- Gift for you**_ **]**

As he laid down the slightly modified story of his life, he noticed that she had grown quiet and was thinking on something else; maybe something about her childhood, her undoubtedly troubled past. No one ever joined the sith at a young age, were it not for some kind of shock. Again, a voice whispered to him to be sincere and try to get to know the mysterious young woman in front of him.

The dark acolyte was deep in thought, while still listening in on his story. She indeed experienced a series of painful flashbacks, although there were a few happy memories along with them. Like the time her mother managed to make a big sale at the market on the eve of her 8th birthday. It was the first time she ever received a gift (a true gift, that is). It was a small datapad-holo-tv thingie that allowed her to watch her favourite cartoons and kids shows, when she had what little free time she could make for herself.

"... Tracing some bounty hunter back to Tatooine, I stopped near Mos Eisley! After a day's worth of searching, I was lucky enough to find a nice family that housed me. Oh how good is a bed when you're about to collapse! They wouldn't take my credits, but I insisted and left them a 100 credit chip for their hospitality!"

Right when he mentioned Tatooine, she turned into stone. Her yellow eyes twitched, before switching back to their stunning, deep green natural colour. The veins around her eyes dissipated as well, leaving only small traces of their presence. It was strange, it shouldn't be happening, especially now, since she was in an interrogation. Was it? She was just sitting there, listening on his reccolection on what he had recently done. _Mos Eisley._ There it was again, a painful throb in her heart. Was this regret she was feeling at the mention of her home planet and home city? He couldn't have known anything about her; no one beside her master, Count Dooku, ever knew or saw who she really was. That was what with the cloak and mystery that she carried with herself. _A moisture farmer family, nice, that housed me._ NO! That couldn't possibly be her family! She had to make sure. There were plenty of moisture farmers on Tatooine, like the one Anakin Skywalker- The Chosen One- hailed from.

"... The mother even gave me a necklace that held a locket with a picture of a young girl, no older than 10. She told me her name was Inanna and that she wished for me to see if I could find her and give it to her, along with an apology on their part..."

No, no, no, that couldn't be! It just couldn't! The Force was playing a sadistic prank on her! What were the odds of a jedi padawan meeting her family, retrieving her old necklace and being captured... by her, of all people and imprisoned here, just to tell the story? It just was too absurd! However, another side of her begged for a moment of peace and recollection. That voice overpowered all her training for a short time, enough to let out a few words.

" The necklace... where is it?" she asked with a harsh tone.

Nelo Hivaarr was dumbstruck by her question. He was in the middle of a very interesting, half-truth, half-lie spin-off of his encounter on Mos Espa, when she cut him off abruptly. What need had she for the necklace...

...

If it did not actually belong to her!

" The necklace is in my armor, Inanna! It is in the left wrist compartiment, safely kept in a small, brown box!" he said, while his gaze averted to his precious armor, laying in the far corner of the room.

Surprisingly, she did just that. Hastily making her way towards the armor, she took hold of the left wrist piece and looked for a button. When she found none, Nelo instructed her press and drag downwards a small opening in the middle, which acted as a secret button. The compartiment opened up, indeed revealing a brown box. She was afraid of what it was inside. With a slightly trembling right hand, she opened the box to find the prized silver necklace. It was worn out, the locket was scratched on the backside, just as she remembered it. Stylized letters were cut deep into the locket's frontside. They read _**Inanna**_ , her name, her beautiful name. The picture it held inside was taken before she turned 10. One of her mother's friends that was a photographer took it. She was happily looking at the camera, her emerald eyes wide, extatic, her long hair caught in with a cheap yet cute plasteel clamp hanging over her left shoulder. Her head was tilted to the left in a cute manner... how that innocence was lost.

 _ **Author's note:**_

 _ **I have delayed the trial and arena scene in order to bring you this beautiful chapter! I will still interweave my fanfic with the original (official) script, so don't worry about this going haywire :)**_

 _ **Thank you for viewing my fanfic and special thanks to my followers!**_

 _ ***Credits for the song go to Klayton(Celldweller)***_

 _ **I would very much like to hear your thoughts on my story! It pleases me to see a rising interest in it, so I know I'm on the right track! Wanna lend a hand? Leave a review with your suggestions!**_

 _ **{**_ **if you by any chance know of a great inspirational song that could help me write the next chapters, share it with me!}**

 _ **(*Advertisement:*)**_

 _ **-Also, for those of you that are fans of the Jedi Knight game series, I have another story going on that I will begin to update next week. It's called "Path of the Dark Jedi Jaden Korr".**_

 _ **(+)Apart from that, there is also my Starcraft story, dubbed "Lost and Found Remnant UED forces in the Koprulu Sector". Have a look, if you're curious about it! :)**_

 _ **(*ad ends here*)**_

 **See you next time, dear Star Wars fans! ;)**

 **Serdancos out!**


	10. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:** _ **Attack of the Clones- part 3**_

 **[song suggestion Skrux: Believe me ft. Complexion]**

Padme was both amazed and terrified by the sheer vastness of the geonosian tunnel system. Thinking back on the seemingly endless twists and turns that she and Artoo took, she realized she would have been forever lost without her astromech companion.

Finally, a small light at the end of the passage they were in. It was dim, orange, artificial lighting that was the indicator of a chamber not designed for housing the natives of this world. Both she and Artoo approached the door in silence, carefully glancing at the surroundings. Seeing as no one was around at that time, she dared take a peek inside the room.

It was damn near impossible for her to surpress a worried cry as she saw him.

Anakin Skywalker was being suspended into the air in a strange stasis prison. Connected to him were a series of cables that applied just enough electricity to make him wince in pain and clench his teeth. Two geonosians, a medical droid and two additional battle droids surrounded him.

" My masters wish for you to confess your crimes and abide by their rules. It will make judging you more lenient!" the droid translated, his voice monotonous and emotionless.

Anakin turned his head to the two geonosians, took a deep breath and spat them straight in their eyes. Such a daring gesture didn't go unpunished. He screamed as one of the battle droids punched him in the stomach and chest areas, while the other tweaked a button on the machine's controls, which turned voltage higher. They went at it for a full, terrible one minute, before the other machine, a life sign monitoring device, beeped. The medical droid motioned them to stop; killing the patient or rendering him unconcious wasn't an option, he stated, again, without emotion. Droids like him were unable to comprehend any sentiment, no matter how much programming they were given.

Padme Amidala readied her weapons. She would use the gas to take out the two natves, then blast the droids when they weren't expecting it. She was, after all, a very good shot, for a former Queen and current senator of Naboo.

Artoo opened up his compartiment, revealing the sleeping gas tank. The astromech skillfully connected it to the room in question and released the valve. The inodour, colourless substance was said to linger in a place for a long time, so air ducts as primitive as those that the cell had, were ineffective at dispersing it.

Three minutes later, the two geonosians were yawning- and Anakin too, to her horror. She had forgotten about him, but there was no going back.

The monitoring device started beeping once more, attracting the three droids' attention.

Now! She had to act now! she thought. Perfect timing, no delay whatsoever. Opening the metal door, she used two blaster pistols simultaneously, dispatching the battle droids. The medical droid, however, dropped to the ground and was about to signal for reinforcements, when Artoo "electrofried" his eyes. To be sure that there would be no more surprises, she executed the two sleeping guards.

Still keeping her gas-proof mask on, Padme deactivated the stasis device, freed Anakin, then dragged him out of the room. He was heavier than he looked, especially since he was out cold.

" Come on, Ani...!" she whispered with a slight annoyance in her voice. " This isn't the time nor the place to fall asleep!"

Receiving no answer, she did the only appropriate thing that came to mind. Taking off her glove, she smacked him a couple of good'ol' bitch slaps across his face, which indeed woke him up.

Startled that he was being held in a stranger's arms, he yanked himself away, instinctively reaching for his now missing lightsaber. Finding no weapon in place, he was about to Force push her away, when he heard Artoo beeping in protest beside him.

" What are you trying to say, buddy?" he asked, still confused; his mind still hazy from the gas.

Padme then took off her helmet and shook her head, arranging her long hair over her shoulders, then catching it in its usual style.

" He's saying that you're a little ungrateful, Ani!" she told him, then embraced and kissed his lips with newfound lust.

When she finally pulled away, they were both gasping for air, their gazes still locked on each other.

" When... how... where?!" Anakin's torrent of whispered questions came out and she had to raise her hand to stop him.

" Nelo... I was about to be molten by the factory's furnace, but he managed to rescue me!"

" Good man! I knew I could rely on him to keep you safe, should I get into trouble!" he responded with a wide smile on his lips.

" And that was what had happened, you reckless hero!" she smiled sadly in turn, before pecking him on the lips again.

" But then, as we were both catching our breath, I heard a snap-hiss. Red light illuminated the place and I saw a menacing, cloaked figure closing in on us. Nelo went cold for a few moments, before calling Artoo on the comm and ushering me out of there!

Ani... I think he... he...!" she almost cried at the thought.

He grabbed her by the shoulders, shook her a bit, then pulled her into a protective embrace, whispering words of calm and reassurence to her.

" Don't worry, angel! I know him and he almost got the jump on Windu when he was just ten years old. Imagine him now: stronger, wiser, older..."

" Yes, Ani, but you forgot one word: _**tired**_! We both know how much energy it took him to..."

He didn't let her finish that sentance, for he already knew what she meant. Still, he believed that his resourceful, cunning brother by oath would come back. Maybe not unscathed, but he'll return to them.

 _Somewhere else... *_ **[set the above mentioned song at the third minute]***

He watched her in silence. He wasn't blind to the dramatic memeories that caused her to grow so silent and contemplative. Sith were supposedly dominated by emotions, mostly anger, hate, resent, envy, hunger for power, but also love, pain, ambition. He wondered which one led her to the Dark Side of the Force.

Nelo then noticed that her have lost their eerie golden tain; the one he knew too well, sadly. The rest of her black veins also vanished under her skin. That was a sign of temporary peace, balance or contempt, at least.

" Are you still the beautiful, smiling girl from that picture?" he asked with a calming tone.

She flinched at his words and turned around to face him. She could feel no ill intent coming off of him, no ulterior motive, nor did his words contain traces Force persuasion. He was... sincere. Such sincerity she hadn't seen in a long, long time.

" Why does that interest you? Why do you go through all this trouble to find me and give me my necklace back?" she asked, trying to look tough and demanding. She wasn't fooling anyone, though.

She could now feel a strange sentiment building up inside of him. That feeling was creeping up one her too. What the Force was going on?

" We all choose our own paths; we all have our reasons for doing so! The actions that we take are shaping worlds and lives around us, yet we are only a fraction of existance. Time is passing in an eternal, cyclical manner, carrying us mortal beings towards a greater destiny, that no one could name!"

His gaze then fell, his eyes aching from something she couldn't see or point out.

" Are there ever enough tears for all the tragedies of this Universe? If I could cry for every loss of innocent, sentient life, then my tears would turn a desert into an ocean!"

The words, but also the meaning and the emotion behind them hit a sensitive chord inside her mind, heart and soul. Such a strange, superior understanding of the Force... it would haunt her dreams for a long time.

" I was lucky to have a mostly good childhood, life, but that cannot be said for others around me! For that, I am sorry! But I won't start moping! Instead, I'll try to mend everything I can!" he stated, opening himself to the Force to let his truthful thoughts be searched by her, should she wish to check them.

Right then, the irony of the Force hit again, this time in the rumbling sound of Nelo's stomach, to which he reacted in embarassment.

Inanna laughed, genuinely, sincerely, serenely laughed for the first time since the two have met. However short it was, it felt as if a weight was lifted from their shoulders. She went to his bag and took out one of the premium ration bars that he carried with him all the time.

Unlike standard emergency or army field rations, those that he carried with him actually tasted good, which was why they were more expensive. Some had chocolate or fruity flavours, others tasted like a concentrated bantha steak, complete with vegetables and spices.

" It seems that you travel in style, Nelo Hivaarr!" she told him, then unwrapped a bar and fed it to him. " Got you eating out of my palm, right?" she gave a playful smirk, to which he blushed for a moment, before beginning to eat. Awkawardness be damned, he was hungry. Plus, the fruit flavoured bar was tasty.

One by one, she gave him the other two packets, before helping him drink cool, fresh water from her flask. The sweet, flowery scent and taste of her lipstick still lingered on the mouth of the flask.

" Thank you!" he said with an honest tone as he finished the makeshift meal.

Her eyes sparked strangely. She gathered his gear into a few boxes, leaving only his armor and helmet about; no weapons though. His golden lightsaber was then hidden away in a secret pocket of her brown robes, right next to the necklace.

" You will have to stand trial for your crimes against Geonosia and the Separatist Alliance!" she spoke slowly, clearly, demanding. " Listen carefully! I'll free you, you will don your armor, be cuffed, then taken before the courts!

A piece of advice: shield your thoughts from those around you, especially my master, Count Dooku, or other acolytes! As a Sith Lord, formerly a Jedi Master, he does posess the ability to read unguarded thoughts, as well as most gestures, expressions.

Now, I'll keep your gear and maybe, if you prove cunning and worthy to escape what judgement will befall you, you'll have them back!"

Inanna then freed the padawan, shot him with electricity a couple of times, then urged him to don his armor. They never spoke until he was done. She cuffed his hands behind his back.

" From here on out, I don't know you anymore! Were Count Dooku or any of my fellow dark acolytes to slay you, I won't lift a finger, understand?"

Nelo nodded. Inanna then roughed him up a bit, landing punches and kicks all over his body, just so that it would be more believable.

" To the courts it is then!" she pushed him out of the room, her lightsaber at his neck.

 _Padme's perspective..._

Padme and Anakin had to wait a while for the effects of the sleeping gas to wear off. The 20 year old jedi padawan was beginning to recover his powers. The Force was flowing through him yet again. Channeling small amounts of it to the wounds in his body, he performed a rudimentary healing, thinking it was better than nothing.

However, the increased Force awareness enabled him to feel Nelo Hivaarr's unique signature not far from where they sat. He was on the move, altough another, darker presence – a sith- was right behind him.

Realizing that his brother had been captured, he urged Padme to join him in his rescue, to which she eagerly agreed. She handled him one of her blasters, before putting her mask back on. They then went on with their plan.

After having been directed by Artoo, they managed to pass through the many complicated cave systems, eventually reaching an open alcove. It allowed them to spot Nelo, who was dressed in his armor, yet was obviously disarmed. Afterwards, his captor came into view. A cloaked figure holding a lightsaber at his brother's neck, her finger ready to press the button on the hilt.

Her dark side signature was evident. Strong, malicious, threatening, it silently warned him not to try anything stupid. There were also a few geonosian guards around; nothing too serious for the both of them. With a bit of coordination between him and Padme and they would be on them in a sec.

Taking out the sith would be the toughest part. Without him or Nelo posessing any lightsabers, it was hard enough. Who knew what else the stranger was capable of?

Not acting on the opportunity was also stupid. Turning his head towards Padme, he nodded.

The two of them were on the sith the next second, Anakin punching her in the face, then Force pulling her lightsaber to his side. Meanwhile, Padme dispatched of the four unsuspecting geonosian guardians, then turned her blaster towards the enemy holding Nelo.

Inanna laughed maliciusly at the duo's effort, tightening her hold on Hivaarr's throat, to which he let out a – real- cry.

Anakin had the perpetrator 's red lightsaber activated, pointed at her- and also Nelo's throat.

" Release him and walk away!" he demanded.

" Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" she laughed maniacly. " I don't need a lightsaber to defeat the likes of you!"

Inanna then extended her free left hand, catching Padme in a Force Grip. The latter dropped her weapons, desperately clawing at the invisible hand that was slowly applying pressure to her windpipe. Her soft, helpless whimpers were more than enough to render Anakin's plans and demands worthless.

" How cute! Your girlfriend there seems to have lost her beautiful voice!" Inanna laughed teasingly.

" You're MAD, sith! Release them at once!" Anakin shouted.

" On the contrary, jedi! I'm not mad, but thoughtful! You wouldn't want to let something happen to that cute, little, helpless senator that you love, now would you?

Also, in case you forgot, I also have your _brother_ at my mercy. Lay down your weapons, come peacefully and I won't end their lives. Time's a wasting!" she gazed into his eyes, her now yellow sith eyes underlining the threat.

As much as Anakin wanted to act quickly and hard-hitting in this case, he knew that one of the two would perish before he got to incapacitate the sith. Again, the Force Grip intensified and Padme's cry was louder this time; Nelo also struggled against her hold, to no avail. Inanna did not back down. He had them wrapped around her finger.

Footsteps echoed from the tunnels nearby; the authorities were on their way. Anakin looked around for an alternative, but could not find any.

" You running away will have the same result: me executing them!" the dark acolyte warned him.

Eventually, as destroyer droids rolled their way into the open space that they were in, Anakin _knew_ he had no other choice.

Letting out a snarl, he threw the lightsaber into a wall, but Inanna stopped it with a mere gesture of her left hand. Not a second later, Padme dropped to the floor, gasping for air. Anakin jumped at the dark acolyte, but was met with a Force lightning blast that sent him into the nearby wall.

After retrieving her crimson lightsaber, Inanna called on the droids to help her escort the suspects before Poggle the Lesser's court to receive their judgement.

Anakin, Nelo and Padme soon found themselves in the centre of attention. That was what one may have called it. Having been brought before the newfounded Separatist Council, in what appeared to be a circular room with many alcoves, balconies and columns, they now stood under a giant spotlight. A translation droid appeared beside them. By some miracle, Artoo managed to make himself scarce during the eariler commotion.

A geonosian, old, proud, dressed in expensive " clothing", complete with many golden and silver ornaments and trinkets, raised a hand, fluffing his wings. A series of strange sounds soon followed, which the protocol droid began to translate.

" We meet at last, Republic spies and saboteurs! You have caused a lot of harm during your brief _**visit**_ of our factory! Intrusion, data stealing, ruthless killing of my subjects, plus an incredible amount of damage to my assembly lines. There is but one verdict for such accusations!"

" Archduke Poggle the Lesser, I hope you are aware that you have broken the laws of our Republic by building an illegal army and imprisoning us!" Padme warned. Release us and we will make sure that the Senate will be leniant towards you!"

A roar of indignation filled the room. The Separatist Council- Viceroy Nute Gunray especially- shouted that the trio be silenced and taken to be executed at once.

Nelo and Anakin looked around, throwing unforgiving, menacing glares at every denizen of the room. Out of the shadows, however, stepped none other than Count Dooku, followed closely by the dark acolyte (Inanna), Jango Fett and another couple of hooded figures.

The former Jedi Master looked at Poggle the Lesser, then at the three prisoners in the middle of the room. He recognized Anakin Skywalker as the boy that his deceased padawan and friend -Qui-Gon Jinn-, brought to the Temple ten years ago. Next to him was Padme Naberrie Amidala, former Queen and current senator of Naboo, a person of great political danger to the "Confederacy of Independent Systems" ( **CIS** ) that he had just created. Last, but not least, was an unknown Jedi padawan, appearently dressed in a patchwork armor which resembled a mandalorian one. He was briefed by his acolyte, Inanna, that he was a new addition to the Jedi Order, a boy with great potential, but also one that was vulnerable to the Dark Side. Maybe if he would survive what's coming to him, this Nelo Hivaarr fellow would get his chance to join his and Sidious's ranks.

Sadly, both Jedi padawans lost their lightsabers while defending themselves against the factory's guards. Therefore, he could not challenge them to an old fashioned duel.

" A pity that we won't face each other in combat!" he told the two, before gesturing for Poggle to continue his speech.

The geonosian leader then came up with a peculiar sentence: execution by being tied to a pole and torn apart by a menagerie of beasts, all this under the attentive eyes of his people and the other CIS leaders.

Nelo couldn't abstain himself from lashing out against their jailer:

" Too coward to face me, bug eyed monster? I challenge you to a one-on-one fight! That is, if you have the courage!" he spat.

Those present in the room were left speechless by his outburst, even Count Dooku and Anakin. Archduke Poggle the Lesser measured his would be challenger from head to toe, before dismissing him with a gesture of his right hand.

" His majesty simply regards you as a means of entertainment for his people! You are no more than a meatbag to be torn apart and devoured by the hungry beasts that reside under the arena!" the droid finished translating.

Droid guards led by a few geonosian jailers brought the three prisoners to a carriage of sorts. Not too soon after, they were being taken to the arena, the bright light of the sun temporarily blinding them. Sitting underground for long periods of time did have that particular effect on humans.

Countless voices shouted in barely contained happiness. The geonosians hungered for bloody, gorey sights to fearsome beasts would surely enjoy chewing up the intruders; not even the bones would remain.

Anakin and Padme shared a last kiss, renewing their declaration of love to each other.

Nelo's thoughts turned to Inanna. He had to somehow meet up with her after all this mess was over to recover his gear and lightsaber. Also, he felt that the dark acolyte had more to tell him that she let out.

 _ **Author's note:**_

 _ **Here it is: the arena fight at the doorstep. Things are about to go crazy in the next chapter.**_

 _ **Thank you for viewing my fanfic and special thanks to my followers!**_

 _ ***Credits for the song go to Skrux and Complexion***_

 _ **I would very much like to hear your thoughts on my story!**_

 _ **(*Advertisement:*)**_

 _ **-Also, for those of you that are fans of the Jedi Knight game series, I have another story going on that I will begin to update next week. It's called "Path of the Dark Jedi Jaden Korr".**_

 _ **(+)Apart from that, there is also my Starcraft story, dubbed "Lost and Found Remnant UED forces in the Koprulu Sector". Have a look, if you're curious about it! :) I intend to**_ _ **update**_ _ **this sometime during this month, so it's not a closed side project.**_

 _ **(*ad ends here*)**_

 **See you next time, dear Star Wars fans! ;)**

 **Serdancos out!**


	11. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12:** _ **Duels of ferocity and skill**_

 **[Song suggestion: Celldweller-Jericho]**

They were brought up to a row of four pillars that stood tall in the middle of the execution arena.

" Anakin? What are you doing here?" master Kenobi, himself already shackled to a pillar, asked.

" Rescuing you, of course!" answered his padawan on a semi-sarcasting tone.

" Hmph! Some rescue! Did you at least relay the message I sent?" the jedi master asked, shaking his head in disbelief at his padawan's foolishness. " Padme and Nelo too? I'm beginning to think letting you off Coruscant had been a mistake!"

The other three didn't speak another word as they were shackled to their respective pillars. The geonosian spectators cheered, expressing their eagerness to see the four humans shredded to pieces.

A couple of minutes later, Archduke Poggle the Lesser gave another one of his speeches, raising his hands in a grandiose manner. He was flanked on either side by mandalorian bounty hunter Jango Fett, Viceroy Nute Gunray, Count Dooku, a couple of battle droids, but no dark acolytes, much to Nelo's bewilderment.

Four metallic creaks announced the opening of the beast pens. Geonosian guards mounted on big lizards were using electrified rods to push a Nexu, a Reek, an Acklay... and a Kell Dragon - a baby one, but still large enough to look menacing.

" I assume that the most horrid of the beasts will head my way!" he told the other three. Hivaarr was situated furthest to the right, right in the path of the said Kell Dragon.

" Well... you did insult and provoke the Archduke!" Padme, who was to his left, said with a worried tone.

Nelo Hivaarr began channeling Force energy into his body. Having absorbed Inanna's lightning attack and stored the discharge, he could call on that reserve at the right time. This once, it was all about timing and coordination.

The Acklay was the first one to pounce. Obi Wan Kenobi dodged its first strikes, managing to use the beast to break his chains. He then retreated, avoiding further deadly swipes, all the while looking around for a solution.

Anakin, on his part, waited. The Reek ran headlong for the pillar, so the padawan simply jumped, landed on the beast's neck, coiled the chains around it, thus managing to free himself from the pillar.

Padme, on the other hand, having hidden a lockpick in her hair, freed herself and climbed her pillar, desperately trying to shake off the shackles and stay away from the terrifying Nexu.

Hivaarr turned around to face his enemy. The Kell Dragon ate one of the geonosian guards, but nontheless continued his approach.

" _Come on, Nelo... think fast!"_ he berated himself. The cursed beast was related to the Tatooine based Krayt Dragon, so it meant that it was somewhat Force resistant. Also, it meant that the hide itself was tough. A lightsaber would have done the job, but he had none at his the disposal at the moment.

That got him thinking...

" This has got to be one of Inanna's _tests_ to see if I am strong enough to really challenge her!" he thought.

Nelo Hivaarr used the Force to slowly, but carefully pick the lock of his bindings, eventually snapping them off. Proud of his work, he barely had time to register the now rampaging creature coming at him. He dashed to his right, using the Force to augment his jumping power. Just in time too, for the Kell Dragon crashed into the pillar, shattering it.

The beast hissed in frustration, lashing out with its spiky tail. The 16 year old padawan dodged this attack as well. Backing away, he tried to Force push the dragon away, but it merely delayed the beast for less than ten seconds.

A scream echoed in the arena. The Nexu dug its claws deep into Padme's back.

As a response, Nelo pulled the creature off her with the help of the Force, but could do no more, because he was faced with his own adversary. He searched his suit for any remaining weapons. He had made a habit of hiding vibroknives in a secret sheeth beneath his right chest plate. Eventually, he found one. The difficult part was actually putting the weapon to good use.

He made a huge leap with the help of the Force, landing on the creature's spikey back. He held on tight, while looking around for any weakpoints in its shell like skin. The Kell Dragon shook violently, trying to throw the annoying pest off of itself.

Nelo Hivaarr went for the neck, hoping that he would be right in his assumption. With a swift, precise movement, he dug the vibroknife deep into the exposed flesh, causing the beast to roar in pain and indignation. It then lifted itself on its two back legs, throwing the padawan off.

The landing was painful. His innate Force Protection alleviated the fall, yet the fact that the was tired took its toll; the energy reserves were proving hard to properly manage.

" I've got to find a larger, sharper blade... or something!" he told himself as he dodged the beast's tail sweeps. He caught glimpse of the arena porticulis. Twelve sharp, wide, heavy durasteel bars.

"... or something like that!" he added.

Gathering his Force energy, Nelo broke into an augmented run towards the closest of the gates. The enraged Kell Dragon was close behind him.

At the same time, Padme managed to kick the Nexu off the pillar yet again, then Anakin showed up atop the Reek beast, which killed the other predator.

" Jump!" he urged the woman he loved.

Padme took a deep breath, then plunged. She managed to land safely behind Anakin on the beast's back. Skywalker pulled the chains, urging the Reek to stampede against the incoming geonosian guards.

" Ani...!" Padme hissed, still hurting from the pain that the Nexu inflicted on her back. "...ugh! What about Nelo?" she pulled his sleeve and pointed to their right, seeing their friend running away.

" Oh, no! That baby Kell Dragon is one tough bastard! Not even if we run this Reek into it will we make any difference!" he sadly admitted. " He's on his own, for now!"

Somewhere around them, Obi Wan Kenobi was running for his life. Hands still cuffed, he wasn't able to use much of his Force power. Still, the calculated steps he took kept him alive so far. The Acklay wasn't backing down, though. After having chased him for a couple of minutes, it ran itself into a pillar, almost crushing the jedi master in the process. The latter then Force jumped backwards a couple of times, putting as much distance between them as possible.

Two mounted guards approached, bent on finishing the beast's job. Kenobi skilfully grabbed on of the electrified pikes, pushed and rotated it in a swift manner, throwing off the guard along the way.

The Acklay approached him rapidly, killing the unlucky geonosian by step-stabbing it in the chest.

Obi Wan used the pike to parry the incoming attacks while trying to score a direct hit at the mantis-like beast. Eventually, he backed away a few steps, aimed and threw the pike at it, piercing a spot between its neck and front-left leg. To his horror, after less than five seconds of confusion, anger, the Acklay managed to turn its head around, tear off the pike, before snapping it in half with its teeth.

The jedi master broke into a Force induced run, while the remaining geonosian guards pushed the beast after him. Anakin called to him, gesturing his master to hop on the Reek. He did just that.

" Thanks for the lift!"

" Now we have to somehow pull Nelo out of the frying pan!" Anakin said with a bit of uncertainty in his voice.

" Where is he? I didn't really have time to look around for you and him!?" Obi Wan asked.

"... Trying to survive his first encounter with a Kell Dragon. We should help him!' the 20 year old padawan answered, to which the other two simply nodded.

Nelo Hivaarr eventually reached the intended spot, Force pushed the guard away, then turned around to face the incoming menace. The enraged Kell Dragon could not think about anything else but the annoying prey in front of it. With a deafening roar, it lowered its head, prepared to crush the human in one assaulting move. In its bloodlust, it didn't pay attention to the cranking noises coming from above. The last thing its eyes registered was the human bringing down his hands slowly, in a peculiar way, before jumping forward as far back into the arena as possible.

The porticulis worked, much to the awe of the audience, which was left utterly speechless. The dreaded creature had been stabbed to death in multiple places across its head, neck and back areas.

As Anakin brought his beast close, Nelo joined his companions as they made their way towards the closest open gate.

Hidden in the shadows of one of the access tunnels that led to the tribunes, Inanna was impressed by her prisoner's performance. It was indeed at her insistance that her master, Count Dooku, picked the strongest of beasts to send against the four intruders. The test had been a sound succes, as it could now be seen: the four republic agents were making their escape, although, knowing the Separatist Council, it would be a futile attempt; it was.

Eight droidekas (destroyers) rolled in from the three gates, effectively surrounding the group of four.

" Let's see how you get out of this one, Nelo&co. !" she mused, watchin intently.

Suddenly, however, she felt the reveal of multiple Force signatures; all of them light sided. Were there more jedi around?

Looking up to the place where her master and the Separatist Council stood, she spotted a black man dressed in jedi robes, holding a purple lightsaber at Jango Fett's neck. She couldn't hear what was being spoken there, yet it didn't really matter. The surprise came in the form of a sea of blue and green lightsabers turned on at the same time. The geonosians screamed in fear, most of them flying away to safety as quickly as possible.

Another snap-hiss, this time behind her. A cyan blue light filled the dark corridor.

 **(Make sure to play the song: Celldweller-Jericho)**

" Surrender, sith!" a female, red skinned nautolan commanded.

" Hmmmm...!" Inanna put her hand to her masked chin. " I think I'll pass!" she said, her eyes turning towards her prey, this time back to their bright yellow glow, as she activated her crimson lightsaber.

The Jedi Knight attacked her quickly and agilely. By the elaborate, though beautifully coordinated moves, Inanna deduced that her enemy was a skilful practicant of Ataru. Plus, the rather narrow corridor didn't seem to obstruct her too much, thanks to the nautolan race's famous flexibility.

" I like your style, missy!" the dark acolyte mocked her as she easily parried a series of blows that would have killed most duelists. She wasn't like most, though.

" Pitiful creature! Only the cruel, the greedy, the weak embrace the Dark Side! I despise you monsters!" the nautolan insulted her.

...

Something snapped inside Inanna. She gritted her teeth, as the familiar black veins around her eyes showed up again. The power of her anger, indignation, disgust washed over her like a rejuvanating lava wave, empowering her entire being.

" _Peace is a lie. There is only passion._

 _Through passion I gain strength._

 _Through strenght I gain power._

 _Through power I gain victory._

 _Through victory, my chains are broken._

 _The Force shall free me!"_ she chanted aloud, each word more poisonous than the last, to the point that her entire body was being engulfed in red-black clouds.

" Wench! How dare you call me weak and pitiful!? I wanted a classical one on one _duel_ , but no it's personal! Now it will be a fight to the death; your death!"

Inanna raised both her hands, unleashing Force lightning upon the unsuspecting Jedi Knight. The nautolan was literally shocked and it took her a lot of effort to raise her own cyan lightsaber to block the onslaught.

Again, the dark acolyte stopped the Force attack, then used Force push to slam the Jedi Knight into a far away wall. The impact was violent, but not deadly. The reason the enemy took it so bad was because of the surprising switch in Force powers; she didn't really have the time to put up any kind of barriers to alleviate the damages.

The nautolan's body hurt in a lot of places. By the pain in her backside, she feared that a few vertebrae and ribs had been broken. Touching the pulsating areas, she found out that she was right; she wished she hadn't been. The sith was more powerful than she had ever realised. She had paid dearly for underestimating this dark lady.

Inanna saw the unbelieving look in her opponent's eyes. That disbelief turned to fear, then pain, then fearful anticipation and what not. It pleased her to see that the bitch was getting accustomed to the punishment that she deserved; part of it at least.

With a confident stride, she made her way to the beaten nautolan. She lifted her victim with the Force, bringing her to eye level.

" You are beneath my contempt, Jedi Knight! Instead of a fair duel, you chose to insult me in the lowliest of ways! Why?"

The jedi gritted her teeth in pain and winced. The pain was slowly overcoming her. Still, she tried to talk back.

" Why... wouldn't I? All you... sith do is start wars, killing countless innocents this way! Galactic history is filled with your kin's dreadful acts of violence and genocide!"

" And you, who serve a corrupted Republic with a nonchalant Senate, are moral, proud, shining and noble? Don't make me laugh! YOUR precious Republic cannot weed out its own troublemakers and is ready to sacrifice entire planets, peoples to ensure the so-called peace! Coruscant is full of crime, yet you couldn't or WOULDN'T stop that! In case you didn't know, wench, the Outer Rim planets still practice slavery out in the open!" Inanna seethed, her eyes glaring daggers, the yellow colour more dangerous than ever, her aura, more menacing than ever before.

The red skinned nautolan jedi knight quirked an eyebrow at Inanna's mention of slavery. She knew that she would most certainly die here, so she tried to throw her opponent off, annoy her by all means, if only for a somewhat rightful, sadic, last satisfaction.

" Speaking from experience, sith?" she asked with a daring tone.

The strange sparks in the dark acolyte's yellow eyes were a sign of impending doom. That had been the most sensitive chord to touch. The jedi would suffer for her mistake.

Inanna flicked on her lightsaber and swiftly cut both the nautolan's arms, along with one of her head tails-things. The screams that her current prisoner let out were outright adorable, delicious. She wholly deserved it too. The wretched woman.

" I may have been a slave, but as the Sith Code goes:

" _Peace is a lie. There is only passion._

 _Through passion I gain strength._

 _Through strenght I gain power._

 _Through power I gain victory._

 _Through victory, my chains are broken._

 _The Force shall free me!"_

And it did free me from slavery! There is no room for weakness in this Universe, you worthless jedi! Do not let the fact that you still draw breath be mistaken for mercy; oh, no!"

Inanna let out a few brief, yet powerful sparks of Force lightning ravage the body of the prisoner.

" Only one of your spiteful Order ever bothered to try to understand me, instead of criticizing me. Why can't all of you pseudo-pacifist scum be like him?" she asked, a bit too contemplative for her own good.

The nautolan female jedi's face fell immediately. Her surprise reached new peaks. An avalanche of questions rushed through her her mind, the most pertinent one being: / **Who in their right mind would try to understand a sith; this sith?** /

As if sensing her prisoner's question among the delightful pain and fear that emanated from the mutilated nautolan's body, Inanna searched her hidden pocket, revealing Nelo's lightsaber, which she then put against the jedi's stomach.

" I believe this to be the best of clues!" she laughed maniacally, then turned on the weapon. The golden coloured plasma blade pierced the nautolan's stomach, the tip errupting from her back. Such a wound rarely leaves someone living for more than a few minutes.

Between her cries of pain and her already sore throat, the jedi knight could mutter her words of surprise, disgust, but more importantly... betrayal.

" Nelo Hivaarr...understands you? That's... that's...!"

" Lovely, isn't it?" Inanna interjected on a truly happy tone.

"... preposterous, disgusting, heretical! How can he betray us so? Consorting with a sith... one of the brightest stars of our Order's padawans... Force NO!"

Inanna's satisfaction rapidly turned to irritation, the likes of which hit the jedi knight with the force of a starship. The sith's eyes remarkably turned to their stunning emerald.

" Unlike you, wench, he is special! In many ways that you and your outdated Order will ever understand!"

" Your... eyes... turned back to normal... because of him? You CARE for _him_?"

That was a hard thing to admit, especially for a sith like her. So far, however, no matter how much she tried to lie to herself, she took care of her special prisoner. He never judjged her (yet, though she had a feeling that wouldn't happen). He never instuled her. Granted, he had been ironic, but no swearings whatsoever. Always polite, had a few jokes to crack. She brought her her necklace back, along with a piece of her lost life. Unnecessary she would have thought, but he still did that. Selfless and thoughtful... On top of all, he brought her the peace of heart that she didn't realise that she needed.

" I... do!" she admitted, then turned her head to the left for a moment, before matching the nautolan's smug gaze. " But now, it's time for you to perish!"

The dark acolyte hid Nelo's saber away, pocketed her own, as well as the jedi's, before taking off her gloves. After putting her bare palms on the victim's forehead and chest areas, she drained the remaining life and Force energy that was left in the nautolan's damaged body.

With a satisfied smile on her face, Inanna returned to her usual spot, watching the battle as it went on.

 _ **Author's note:**_

 _ **Here it is: the arena fight part 1. The megafight is due for the next chapter. It felt just right to end this chapter this way, so sorry for not prolonging it :))))**_

 _ **Then again, any suggestions, ideas you have are welcome. Just make sure to**_ _ **review**_ _ **or send personal messages. I appreciate all the help I can get!**_

 _ **Thank you for viewing my fanfic and special thanks to my followers!**_

 _ **I would very much like to hear your thoughts on my story!**_

 _ ***Credits for the song go to Celldweller***_

 _ **(*Advertisement:*)**_

 _ **-Also, for those of you that are fans of the Jedi Knight game series, I have another story going on that I will begin to update next week. It's called "Path of the Dark Jedi Jaden Korr".**_

 _ **(+)Apart from that, there is also my Starcraft story, dubbed "Lost and Found Remnant UED forces in the Koprulu Sector". Have a look, if you're curious about it! :) I intend to**_ _ **update**_ _ **this sometime during this month, so it's not a closed side project.**_

 _ **(*ad ends here*)**_

 **See you next time, dear Star Wars fans! ;)**

 **Serdancos out!**


	12. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13:** _ **Apocalipse on Geonosis. Seeds of doubt.**_

 **[Song suggestion: Blue Stahli - Ultranumb]**

Almost 200 Jedi Knights and Jedi Masters were in the execution arena and the tribunes at that time. Having come all the way to Geonosis to thwart the Separatist Council, rescue their fellow jedi Obi Wan, Anakin Skywalker, Nelo Hivaarr, plus the senator of Naboo, they jumped right into the fight against the waves of battle droids.

Just as he tried to apprehend Nute Gunray, Poggle the Lesser and Count Dooku, Master Mace Windu was faced with a couple of super battle droids and the dangerous bounty hunter Jango Fett, thus being forced to retreat into the arena as well.

Anakin ordered the Reek beast to go into a stampede, taking out whatever tin cans stood in its way. Not too soon a fter, they've joined their jedi brethren. A couple of them then threw Obi Wan and Anakin a blue and a green spare lightsaber, which they then used to cut their bindings.

"How nice of you to actualy get weapons, while I'm left with nothing!"Hivaarr commented.

"A jedi is never defenseless or without a weapon!"Anakin interrupted his bickering and gave him a cheeky smile.

"Cute!"Nelo spat. He then Force pulled three fallen droid blasters to him. "Here miss Amidala! You can use this in your defence!" he handed her one of the weapons.

Padme thanked him, then began firing at the enemy lines. The other three jedis were impressed by her accuracy. For a former queen and senator, she was quite the sharpshooter.

"Remind me not to ever annoy you!"Anakin said in a mocking tone.

"You had better not!" she answered with a cute smile.

For the next ten minutes the group performed a drive-by all across the arena, helping their allies push back the ever growing number of killer droids that were being deployed against them by the Separatists. Nelo, however, was sick and tired of shooting his way out of the predicament. He wanted to jump right into the action.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be better off by foot, helping out the others!" Nelo told the other three, before jumping into the heat of the battle.

Immediately after, he started clearing the surrounding area of "pesky, stupid battle droids"- as he called them. His shots almost always hit home, even when he was on the move. Standing your ground in a place like that, with no cover whatsoever was pure suicide and he did not want to end up dead on that shithole of a planet. Having been accustomed with firearms, he only needed a few seconds to aim and shoot whatever enemies threatened him. Crouching, dashing sideways, jumping worked well when one had to avoid a volley of lasers.

The jedis around him were weary, a few of them even encircled him, lightsabers to the ready.

"Oh, for crying out loud! It's me, Nelo Hivaarr!"he shouted as he removed his mask's visor, so that they would be able to see his face.

After a quick apologize to their brother, the aforementioned group turned their attention back to the conflict around them.

" _Still no lightsaber! I'm beginning to think that this is a cruel joke!"_ he thought.

Dodging another volley of shots by jumping over the assailants, he responded with a series of accurate shots that resulted in utter annihilation on the droids's side. In his almost frenzied efforts, however, he did not pay attention to the remaining geonosian soldiers that attacked from above. One of them got extra lucky and scored a hit on Nelo's left shoulder area.

"Curses!"he shouted, before returning fire. "If not for the reinforced plates and energy shields, that would have severed my arm!"

He started Force pulling the insectoids out of the skies, then taking them out one by one. This strategy was most useful, though demanding in terms of energy. There was only so much the Force could flow into one's body without dangerous conequences; he feared that he might soon reach his limit if he did not find an alternative. Again, he felt the tug of the Dark Side. It whispered tales of power, great power that would enable him to crush anything that opposed him.

" _As if I'd be so stupid to let you rule me! Get a life; another life, not mine!"_ he inwardly cursed his dark, inner replica, the manifestation of the said entity.

Just as he managed to lock away the Dark Side once again, Nelo was patted on the shoulder by someone. As he turned around to face the stranger, he was greeted by the smiling face of his master, jedi knight Krav Erladin.

The latter was dressed in his usual master attire, with brown( now torn and stained) robes covering gray, light armor. His green lightsaber was poised to deflect any incoming projectile. The zabrak himself looked tired.

"Glad to see you again, Nelo dear! I see you're using blasters again… should I even ask where my padawan's defyingly golden lightsaber is?" he stated on a slightly annoyed tone.

Nelo's gaze turned to the ground for the moment. He felt ashamed that he didn't have his weapon with him. Even moreso that he had to lie to his master… although. It wasn't quite a lie. He would avoid the truth, thus not technically _lying._

"You see, I…!"he shook his head, before rapidly moving on. "I'm sorry master, but I lost my lightsaber in one of the caves of the factory. I was attacked from all sides and was eventually subdued. I'll try to get it back after the fight!"

The zabrak jedi knight pondered his words for a few seconds, before handing Nelo a spare, blue lightsaber.

" You'd better! The Order- the Temple Guardians especially- would laugh in your face if you do not come back with it! Now, we have to hold the line as long as we can!"he answered with a rather serious tone.

Nelo looked puzzled for a moment.

"What for, master? I thought you were the reinforcements!?"

"You'll know it when you see it! Now, do what you do best and take out the enemy!" Erladin ordered him with an encouraging smile.

The two jedi then stood back to back, defending each other. Laser bolts were fired at them, yet through a great coordination, they were able to deflect them back at their attackers. Even though Nelo was an adept at using both his saber and a blaster at once, the rather crude design of the firearm impeded his actions. So he threw it away, focusing instead on his swordsmanship.

Minutes passed and slowly, but steadly the battle droids and the geonosians were gaining the upper hand. Few jedi could defend themselves from attacks coming from all directions, so there was no wonder that the valiant defenders of the galaxy began to fall, one by one.

A jedi knight that tried saving one of his fallen brothers lost sight of the danger around him. He was cornered by multiple enemies. The result was… gruesome.

As cynical as it may seem to some people, Nelo Force pulled the dead man's lightsaber to him and activated it. A bright emerald plasma blade to complete the dual saber combo that he intended to use in his defence.

All around him, the seemingly endless droids and their insectoid masters intensified their pressure on the jedi, who in turn cut down as many enemies as was possible. Yet the Separatist forces were being totally ruthless, relentless and could not get tired; machines tended to be like that. Plus, they had the factory nearby to resupply them with the numbers they needed.

A strange sound could be heard from behind Nelo. He turned around in time to see a geonosian giant, field issue shock cannon firing at a group of jedi. The ground shook with great intensity, the wave being so strong, that all that were caught in its path were killed or rendered severely wounded (easy prey for the droids).

Nelo swallowed in fear. Not even his protection would help him if he were to be the target of that doomsday weapon… No, he couldn't think like that! He had to push that fear aside and concentrate on getting out of the arena alive and well, alongside his brothers and sisters.

"NELO!"his master shouted, as he pushed the boy to the ground to avoid being hit by another shockwave. "GO! Take out that canon before it kills us all! Quickly, before it's too late!" his master ordered him, then ran to help a fellow cornered jedi knight.

Nelo let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Once again, he channeled the remaining Force power into augmenting his run towards the damned weapon. His two lightsabers served him well in taking out those that posed a threat. He was joined by another jedi knight who offered to assist him. Together, they flanked the giant shock cannon, overwhelming its defenders. With a precise jump, Nelo reached the command chair, kicked the gunner out, then aimed the cannon at one of the new waves of super battle droids. Seeing as there were no jedi in that particular area, he fired a couple of shots, effectively clearing it of clankers. On another note, he also shattered one of the gates, which would stem off the replenishment of the enemy ranks.

Just as he sighed in relief, the knight that was helping him shouted a warning. Looking above himself, Nelo spotted a rather large number of pissed off geonosians heading towards them. Right next, Hivaarr plunged his lightsaber into the controls and traced a cut that effectively disabled the machine, before jumping off and into the battle again.

The situation was not looking good at all. The forces of the Jedi Order were being pressured even harder, many falling to the merciless assault of the battle droids.

The Reek which Anakin, Padme and Obi Wan were using to stampede against the enemy was shot. In turn, the beast screamed in pain and shook the three passengers off of its back. It then engaged anything that stood in its path.

While Obi Wan was off helping master Windu, Padme and Anakin commandeered he lizard towed carriage that had previously brought them into the arena.

What followed was an utter, quick paced chaos.

The droids managed to shoot down jedi after jedi, while Windu beheaded the dreadful mandalorian bounty hunter Jango Fett. Obi Wan also dispatched of the troublesome Acklay beast along the way. Still, all their efforts were ultimately unsuccessful.

Hivaarr, Padme, Anakin, Obi Wan and the others could see how they were pushed to the middle of the battlefield; surrounded, their numbers to an all time low. To their surprise, however, Count Dooku returned to his usual balcony and raised his hand. The next second, all attacks suddenly stopped, giving them a much needed breather.

" Master Windu! You have fought valiantly! Worthy of recognition in the archives of the Jedi Order!"the count spoke as the few other survivors were being brought to the circle. "But now, it is finished! Surrender… and you lives will be spared!"he offered them on an almost caring tone.

Windu quickly, sternly turned down his offer.

"We will not be hostages to be bargained for, Dooku!"he shouted back.

The Count of Sereno turned his gaze down for a few moments, as if in regret for what he was about to do, before answering on a disappointed tone:

" Then… I am sorry, old friend!"

Just as he said those words, the droids again aimed their weapons at the remaining jedi, which readied themselves for their last battle. When everything seemd lost, Padme turned her head upwards, as if in silent prayer, but was shocked by what she saw.

"Look!"she shouted in awe.

It was then that the gunships arrived, cutting down the enemy ranks with their laser rays, all the while forming a perimeter around the survivors. Each of the latter ran for cover to the closest ship. Nelo, his master and a squad of soldiers (clones) in one, Obi Wan, Anakin and Padme in another, the rest splitting into random groups.

The gunships ascended, locking their doors and loading their weaponry. They then began their flight towards the great battle that was unfolding.

" Hold on!" Obi Wan told Padme and Anakin, as he lit his weapon to deflect incoming fire. For some reason, the door to their ship had jammed and could not be properly closed. One of the grounded spaceships started firing at them.

" Aim right above the fuel cells!" Anakin suggested.

The pilot did just that. Surprisingly (or not), the entire contraption fell prey to the pair of rockets that hit it, exploding and collapsing on the droids around it.

" Good call, my young padawan!" Obi Wan proudly congratulated him.

Some of the other gunsips began to land their troops and jedi commanders in special assembly areas, right next to the star destroyers.

As the other four ships pushed forward, resistance intensified. Much to their horror, Nelo and Erladin' ship was hit by antiaircraft cannons and fell from the skies.

Alarmed, Mace Windu shouted to his pilot, beckoning him to land as soon as possible, else they would be dead.

" Nelo!" Anakin and Padme shouted in unison. They were terrified by that explosion. Not even his by now miraculous Force powers would have saved him from that cannon fire. They feared the worst for their brother.

 _Nelo's POV…_

He had seen the incoming shots. It was only a matter of time before they were going to get hit, so Hivaarr thought of the only thing right to do: cast Force Protect all around the ship or at least its inhabitants.

" Master… do you trust me wholeheartedly?" he turned to Krav Erladin with a measured voice that he didn't know he had.

" Of course Nelo, how could I not?" his master answered, a little scared by the sudden change of his padawan's tone and spirit. He felt as if something was amiss, yet couldn't pinpoint what or why was that. "What is this about?"

Nelo went silent for a minute. He gathered his thoughts and made peace with himself. He certain that if he were to let himself in the hands of the Force, like his master would, they would both die right here and now. But, if he were to properly use the Force – both sides for a short time- he would save all the denizens of the ship. So, with renewed intent, he spoke:

" I need to _borrow_ as much Force energy from you as possible in order to prevent our imminent deaths, _please!_ "

" I don't like your tone, boy, but you never looked so worried without a reason! Get on with it!" his master answered on a very worried tone.

Nelo touched his master's forehead with his left palm. A moment later… it began.

At first, the zabrak jedi knight felt only a slight inconvenience, but with each second, it grew in intensity, to the point that he couldn't refrain from letting out groans, then screams of pain. The Dark Side energies of his padawan were draining him of his Force powers… and his life energy. That couldn't be! He hoped, prayed that maybe he was mistaken. He wasn't. With one glance over to Nelo, he knew. The teen's right eye turned to the sickly yellow of a sith; there was no denying it. How he would deal with such a problem… he couldn't think about it now. He had to stay strong, stay awake and, most importantly… **stay alive**! In the worst case scenario, is padawan might lose his control over the dark power and kill him. He had to prevent anything too bad from happening.

Nelo knew that what he was doing tapped power from his dark side. Again, it was as if the Universe was pushing him into using it. His Force Drain, as vampiric as it was, offered him enough energy to envelop the ship and its crew in a sturdy Force Shield. He could feel his master's power waning, slowly but steadily, yet he needed a bit more; just a bit more, enough to mingle with his own light sided energy and dark side emanations to create a lasting shield to mitigate any cannon fire.

Eventually, the shot came and –not surprisingly- they fell from the sky at great speed. They crash-landed, although not one of the passengers or the pilots suffered major injuries. No broken bones, head traumas or anything like it. Nothing more than a shock, some bruises and the occasional cuts here and there.

After they regained their composure, the soldiers immediately took position around the crash site, while the clone captain and the pilots signaled for a transport ship to take them to friendly lines.

Jedi Knight Krav Erladin suffered a major headache as a result of the strain that he was put through. Even so, he struggled to watch his padawan carefully, noting some changes in his behavior.

"Nelo! I want to speak with you right away!"

"Yes master!"the other one answered absent mindedly and joined Erladin.

His master demanded to know what kind of power he used a mere few minutes ago. He wasn't too pleased with the answer, however, for Force Absorb was a purely defensive ability, in contrast to what had happened. It only meant that Nelo drained his energy to augment his shields enveloping them, thus saving them from certain death.

As he regained enough energy to think straight, Krav Erladin processed the information; he suddenly became aware of what had really transpired. Nelo Hivaarr, his padawan, had used the Dark Side of the Force to replenish his energy. Surely, the action had the best of intentions behind it, but that didn't put his mind at rest. On the contrary, it was a terrifying thought, for the path towards damnation was paved with good intentions. Masters Mace Windu and Shaak Ti had warned him, years ago, that Hivaarr, when put under immense, life threateneing pressure, had the tendency to turn to his dark side for help. He hadn't believed them then. He pointed out to Windu that maybe he was blinded by his disdain of the boy learning Vaapad at such a fragile age. Indeed, the said lightsaber style did involve fidgeting with emotions, dark thoughts, be them the user's or the enemy's. Learning it was not so difficult in itself as was learning the necessary control, restrain behind safely using it.

He had believed that Nelo, of all people, should know better than to give in to fear and disperation. When it came to physically _dying_ , a jedi would always remember the last line of the Code: _**"There is no death, there is the Force!"**_

Erladin did feel a brief warning from the Fore that something awful was about to happen. It came seconds before Nelo activated his giant Force Shield around the gunship; aminute before the AA fire hit them. It was a peculiar feeling. He felt as if he had died- or, rather, had to have died- but here he was, alive, not permanently injured, just like the rest of the crew. True to his word as a jedi and as Nelo's master, he approached the still exhausted( no, that wasn't the word; perhaps scared… troubled?) padawan.

"Nelo, may I have a word with you in private?"he asked, pointing to a secluded spot, some sort of small cave, near the crash site, where the clones wouldn't eavesdrop on them.

The other jedi complied almost automaticly. This too was not good in itself, the zabrak thought. He wanted him to take the next conversation very seriously, not just nod at times and forget it altogether. Its intent was to make the young jedi aware of the dangers and consequences of one's immersion in the Dark Side. Akin to one jumping in a pool full to the brink with energy stims, it was becoming increasingly addictive with each use. It may soon give one the impression that he truly needs the darkness in order to survive. That was too troubling. Nelo had to have used it more often than Erladin caught news of. There was no other explaination as to why it was so easily available for him to use during perilous times.

Erladin gestured for Nelo to sit on a large, round shaped rock. The most primitive of hcairs, Nelo would have mused, but this was not the time or place for amusement.

Krav Erladin chose to stand on his feet, even pace a little, in order to vent his frustration at the predicament.

"Nelo… can you even begin to comprehend what the Force happened back there?!"he asked on a not so friendly tone, while glaring at his padawan.

It took an extra moment for the weary and wary padawan to voice his thoughts.

" I already told you, master Erladin! I used my Force Absorb on you to replenish y energy reserves so that we all could come out alive from the crash!"he defended himself. He knew that what he had done was the right thing, yet he also knew that other jedi would not accept the idea. Small, seemingly righteous steps such as this one were the path towards one's fall to the dark side, they would call it.

"Half-truths, Nelo? I thought that we were at the point of completely trusting each other?"sighed Erladin, who then threw his hands up and clenched his fists. "That was Force Drain you used, _**a skill of the Dark Side!**_ For you to have used it… it means two things: either that you delved into forbidden knowledge without telling anyone… or you have an affinity for such shady abilities. Frankly, I don't know whichever one of them is worse!"

"But master!" Nelo stood up, eyes focused on jis master's disgusted face. Never before had he seen the zabrak jedi knight like this. "There was no malicious intent behind the action! I was completely in control of myself as I let the Force flow through me! Gods and stars, I saved everybody's lives- I'm no Sith Lord, for crying out loud!"he answered with barely contained indignation at his master's accusatory tone.

"Yes, you did and no one that was there would ever deny it! But what if you had lost control over that "power" of yours and killed me by draining my life away? Maybe it didn't happen today, maybe it won't happen tomorrow or this year at all, but, eventually, your mistakes will catch up to you! Also, drawing upon such energies like you seem to be doing when in peril would bring you ever closer to addiction, to the Dark Side itself! Remember your teachings, Nelo!" Erladin pressed on, then let his padawan a minute to take in what he just said.

"That is the day I fear the most: the day I'll see a good natured soul such as yours become corrupted and twisted to its core!" he warmed his tone a bit, as he said those last words. "Though I can't leet you get away with this! The Council has to know. Only they have the knowledge to counter this threat inside you; they can offer the right guidance that I so obviously wasn't able to!" he added sternly, albeit with a tinge of guilt.

Nelo Hivaarr felt a foreign emotion trying to envelop him. Something akin to anger, betrayal, but, as always, he managed to lock it up back where it came from. So what? He thought. The danger existed. It actually existed in every jedi's soul. Has it ever taken hold of him? No. Will it ever? He'll make sure to not let it, like, ever. No need for the High Council to meddle in this affair.

" Master, I can take care of this predicament! Believe me when I say that there is no need to involve the Council! You know how much master Windu resents me; he is always looking for an opportunity to punish me, to _put me in my rightful place_ as he once said! He… could have me demoted to a petty youngling just by suggesting it in his next meeting!" Hivaarr pleaded, his voice clearly worried by that prospect.

But his master was adamant in his beliefs. He admonished the padawan for ill speaking of his fellow jedi. There was no shame in serving the Order by being a youngling, a healer, or a caretaker ( the latter of the two categories usually filled with those that failed their knight trials).

Closing the current topic, Erladin returned to the crash site, Nelo in tow. The clone captain reported that the rescue ship was due to arrive in a couple o minutes. Once they got back to friendly lines, he would see if Nelo deserved to lead his own company of troops against the Separatist Droid Army.

Hivaarr himself wondered about that possibility. He earned it, after all. The twenty clones cheered, patted him on the shoulder and thanked him for saving their lives.

" _At least they're glad to be alive, unlike someone I know!"_ the padawan thought and frowned.

Sometimes he wondered why other jedi condemned moral actions such as this one. Simply surrounding yourself to Death's embrace, even though you posess the means to save yours and your companion's lives, did not sit right with him.

Such stupid limitations… no wonder that evil was so hard to stomp out.

He had the nagging feeling that this act of goodness might result in him having a fallout with the Council.

 **Author's note:**

 **Here it is, the arena fight part 2. At this point, after a straining effort, Nelo begins to feel the ever stronger siren song of the Dark Side. This will lead to multiple complications on his part.**

 **Thank you for viewing my fanfic and special thanks to my followers!**

 **Any suggestions, observations you wish to make, please leave them in the** **review** **section or send them to me via** **PM**

 _ ***credits for the song go to Blue Stahli***_

 **See you next time, fellow Star Wars fans!**


	13. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14:** _ **Dusk on Geonosis. Beginning of the conflict**_

 **[Song suggestion: The Birthday Massacre-** _ **Red Stars**_ **]**

 _ ***Author's responses to readers***_

 _ **Ultor: I will consider that possibility, thanks for pointing it out!**_

 _ **Pt1oef: indeed it is easier, since I can visualize the action, thanks to the movies, games and animated series. Starcraft is harder to describe, especially if you deviate from the script, like I did.**_

 _ **I Judicator: Thanks for the good thoughts! I am glad you like the story!**_

 _/_

Master Obi Wan Kenobi tried to use the Force to check if either Hivaarr or Erladin were still alive, yet he was unable to. Wether it was the battle or the Dark Side, something was clouding his senses.

"Pilot! What was the registration number of the downed gunship?" Padme suddenly asked, an idea forming in her head.

"Let me see… XW22P…"the copilot stated.

"Can you ask around if there were any survivors again she asked with hope in her voice.

"I can, maam!"

'Then do so quickly!"Anakin interfered, impatient to hear the news, any news of his brother-by-oath.

Their own gunship, paired up with master Yoda's and another one, launched waves upon waves of rockets at the enemy starships. Also, their laser fire and deadly raygun turrets made short work of the ground based droid lines. The clones and their jedi generals were thankful for the aid. The bothersome wheeled, rocket launching separatist contraptions- the wheelies, as they've been quickly nicknamed- destroyed quite the number of the Republic's AT-TA's tanks. With them and the spider droids crushed, the clone infantery was able to push forward from their assembly areas at last.

After little over one hour of fighting, the entire battlefield was turning into one giant scrapyard… and graveyard. Piles of droid, clone, geonosian bodies were scattered all over the sandy, rocky, dry, harsh landscape of the cursed planet.

"Madam… sir, we've found something! A distress signal had been sent by the ship. Someone's there to pick them up!"the copilot announced, bringing relief to the three passengers.

Suddenly, Obi Wan, Anakin and Padme's gunship came into contact with a fleeing Count Dooku, escorted by a pair of native flown fighters.

"Shoot him down at once!" Anakin ordered, but the pilots had to decline. They had no more rockets and the other weapons were too overheated.

" Then we have no choice but to follow him!"Obi Wan stated the obvious.

The two gunships were engaged in the pursuit of Count Dooku's speeder throughout the countless canyons, ravines and valleys. The renegade jedi master spared the a glance over his shoulder, pressed a button on his console, then sped up. The other two fighters slowed down their engines, coming up behind the Republic gunships.

The ensuing fight nearly resulted in them losing Dooku's trail, but the clone pilots were competent enough to avoid the worst of the enemy fire. By sheer bad luck, though, Padme and one of the clones were thrown out of the ship when one of the blasts rocked the armored craft. The two landed unceremonisely in the massive, red sand dunes of the planet. The low altitude that they were flying at prevented any real injury, though both seemed unconscious and far from friendly lines.

" Anakin! We don't have time for this now!" Obi Wan told his padawan off. "I know you want to help her, but she can take care of herself, plus she's got a clonse trooper at her side for now! Remember, Dooku's our first priority! With him captured or dead, we could end this war early!"

Skywalker didn't like the idea of leaving his lovebird like that at all. On the other hand, as much as he trued, he couldn't deny the truth in his master's words.

"Agreed! We'll do this!" he answered, his voice full of resolve.

Master Yoda watched as the Raygun tanks obliterated the last of the Separatist giant, ball shaped starships that hadn't taken off in time.

"Good day, commander! A ship for me, could you spare?"the wise green alien asked with a calm tone, one that didn't betray the ominous feeling that worried him.

The leader of the clones, number XT1205, otherwise calling himself Craig, saluted his superior officer and went on to make the preparations.

In the meantime, master Yoda's transmitter rang. Activating the holo-feed, he was surprised- and relieved- to see Krav Erladin, for the most part unharmed.

" Ah, Erladin, pleased to see you're fine, I am! The crash scared all of us!" he expressed his concern.

"I assure you, grandmaster, it scared us as well! Were it not for my padawan, I dare say we would have died horribly!" Krav Erladin spoke, but with a hint of urgency.

The Grandmaster of the Jedi Order obviously caught wind of that feeling. Even across that great distance, he could sense the zabrak's nervousness. Something was wrong. It revolved around his padawan, given the way he mentioned Hivaarr's role in saving his life.

"Unsettled, you are, my fellow jedi! Something I can do?"

" No-I… I mean yes!"Erladin then sighed. "It's about Nelo! My padawan… I fear that his recent efforts- given how straining they were- have affected him. With his energies at the minimum, he used his… emotions… to save us and the clone troopers. Everybody onboard our ship would have died otherwise. Please, grandmaster, I need your guidance on this extremely sensitive matter. Threatening to punish him by demoting him or worse, banishing him altogether would be detrimental, if not dangerous!"

Another sigh from him. The jedi knight was tired, both from the recent events and from having exhausted his mind in how to deal with the problems that arose with his padawan's growing powers. His eyes, his demeanor, his aura, everything looked as if it had been taken away, stripped from his very being- at least that's how Erladin looked like at that moment, Yoda thought.

Taking another dive into what some masters would call " _The Living Ocean of Energy"_ that was the Force, the grandmaster was relieved to find out that Krav Erladin was not in danger, nor were his deficiencies… permanent. He would recover if given the proper rest, treatment and meditation exercises. He then ried to get a reading from young Hivaarr's Force signature, but the answer was strange. The teen human padawan's emanation was dimmer than usual, shrouded in a mysterious cloak of greyish shadows…

No, he couldn't concentrate any longer. He had to ponder on this, in a peaceful, quiet place, not on a battlefield.

"Much uncertainty, there is, in those dark times. Many challenges, even more dangerous, lie ahead! Ever mindful and vigilent, we must be! Leave the padawan to talk to me and rest, brother jedi!" Yoda answered, smiling apologeticly, to which Erladin simply bowed, thanked him and brought Nelo to the comm.

The boy wanted to be anywhere but there, speaking with the grandmaster. He did admit to himself that it could have been worse. Still, he hoped to get away in one piece-metaphoricly- out of this one. Lying was out of the question. Back to sincerity, perhaps?

" Hello, master Yoda! Sorry for taking your time!" Nelo greeted and bowed respectfully.

"No problem at all young one! Worried, your master, however, is! Why that is, explain you might?"the sympathetic green gremlin asked.

Nelo tried weaving an 80% truth-20% lie kind of story. He told master Yoda that, given his last mission, he exhausted himself. So when they were aboard the gunship, a warning from the Force prompted him to take action. His master trusted him with his life and the life of the others around them, so he went on with his last resort. Reaching into the spiritual side of the Vaapad style, he delved into his need to save others, molded his compassion into a driving sentiment, which in turn he used to fuel his powers.

And then he told him what he had told Erladin earlier…

After listening to the entire story from the padawan's point of view, Yoda went cold for a moment. It was child's play to put two and two together and draw the line, so to say. All the clues pointed to a certain Darkness- aligned power: Force Drain, the evil counterpart of Force Absorb.

It was then that he understood why the zabrak jedi knight was in that state. He should consider himself lucky, for not many would have been able to hold back when unleashing that leech-like technique. But the problem itself remained. What would he do with Hivaarr? Punishment was out of the question; it was not the time, nor the place for that. The expressions running about on the padawan's face: hope, fear, resignation to his fate, trust and mistrust… a mosaic of emotions, all of them swirling menacingly. The best approach would be a thorough talk back at the Jedi Temple, once the Battle of Geonosis was over.

Yoda's gunship arrived and he didn't have much time. The Force had warned that his former padawan, Dooku, was trying to leave the planet. That was out of the question. The latter had to answer for his crimes; perhaps even redeem himself by stopping whatever the Separatist Alliance had planned.

"Nelo Hivaarr, a new mission, for you, I have! Know that I trust you to finish this task!" he spoke to the boy at last.

The aforementioned padawan brightened immediately at the words. It meant that his approach was the best, at least for now, Yoda thought. Losing him to the Dark Side or alienating him would be tragic.

" Whatever it is, I will strive to do what's best!" Hivaarr answered with determination, also giving a bow.

"Good, good! Assume command over your master's clone trooper company, you must! A leader they need, while you need help. Let one help another in camaraderie. Go now, but do not forget yourself or your teachings!"

Nelo gave him a beaming smile, bowed, thanked the Grandmaster for his confidence in him, then left to prepare for what lay ahead.

He didn't hear the last words that were spoken.

"Only time will tell, if to trust you, right I was!"

The journey back to the closest troop assembly area didn't take long. He, master Erladin, plus the other 22 clones were given immediate medical attention. All of them, save for the zabrak jedi were deemed fit for frontline duty. To Nelo's great surprise, the jedi knight that had assisted him in taking out that giant shock cannon back in the execution arena greeted him.

"Hello there, Nelo! My name is Pal Taruk and I'll be helping you in the upcoming battle!" the green skinned twi'lek offered. "Although, as master Yoda previously told you, you will be the one leading the company; I'll just be giving you a helping hand!" Taruk smiled as he shook the teen's hand.

"I will do what must be done!" Hivaarr answered with determination, nodding his head.

"Alright then! Better get acquainted with your troops, though I have the distinct feeling that you've already met some of them!" the twi'lek stated as he went on to prepare himself as well.

So the clones that he saved were from his new company. Cool! Right next, he would have to have a talk with his officers so that he could get moving. He would find a name for the company later.

Less than half an hour later, they were on the move. With Hivaarr leading them- Pal Taruk close behind him, of course-, the 300 strong force made its way towards the seemingly unending mayhem ahead of them. With no heavy unit support and only twelve ATRTs combat walkers, they had to make the most with what they had: infantery weapons and tactics.

All around them, friends and foes, fellow clones and jedi, separatist droids and their commanders were falling by the tens, hundreds, thousands and growing. Only by sheer luck would one be spared from the deadly waves of laser fire that rained eitherway. Republic AT-TE tanks were pummeling the droid positions. Strong points, forts, redoubts, mountains and even small spaceships and factories were being raized to the ground into useless heaps of rubble. As a response, the enemy deployed more and more of their by now dubbed "Wheelies", droids that rolled on two giant wheels, quickly making their way towards their target across any terrain. Their rocket launchers had enough precision to lock onto and destroy the AT-TEs. Even if they missed the target, the area damage was nothing short of devastating.

There were two things that saved many Republic lives that day:

The droid army was taken by surprise, most of its factories and starports destroyed or captured, so regrouping was out of the question.

The Grand Army of the Republic employed its notorious gunships. Equipped with laser guns, lasser rays and rocket launchers, they were able to cut through the more heavily armed parts of the enemy lines with ease.

Nelo used the comm link of his helmet to coordinate his troops. Seeing as he spider droids were desperately trying to plug the gaps left by the demise of the wheelies and other heavier mechs, Hivaarr organized a spearhead formation. Himself at front, using energy shields and whatever Force Protection he could still muster to draw and deflect the brunt of the enemy fire, while his clones used their long range rifles to shoot down the common battle droids. In the end came their ATRTs speed walkers, their weaponry enough to destroy the spider droids.

The scheme worked, much to his and Pal's disbelief. The other companies quickly adopted similar moves, thus breaking through the enemy front. Four gunships roared overhead, delivering their lethal payload upon the Separatists. Losses were still mounting on both sides, yet the balance was irreversibly turned towards the Republic's side. That did not mean that it was time to celebrate; not at all. In fact, such a situation often led to fanatical, last ditch attacks. Droids did not fear shock or terror. Overwhelming odds did not matter to them, not if they've been programmed to obey their masters completely. Neither were family, friends, comrads, home or any such aspect meaningful to them.

Hivaarr watched in disgust as vulture droids were launching suicide attacks against his and his allies' lines. He and Pal had to Force Push a few of them away from their clone troopers. Casualties were mounting though. One of his sergeants reported 15 dead and 37 wounded on their company alone. Also, at the time of the report, two of the ATRTs were burned to a crisp.

Deflecting another incoming volley, he pulled his troops into a longer and more sharpened diamond formation, again using his Force Protect to keep them as safe as possible, much to the clones'relief. He didn't realize that Pal Terek was actually heping him maintain the flow of Force energy, feeding that taxing power. Master Yoda was explicit in his request of observing the padawan and he would do his best.

No sooner than half an hour later they shattered the enemy's left flank, completing the encirclement. An artillery bombardment later and the remaining droids were blown to smitherins.

Next thing he knew, he collapsed on the ground, just like that. He registered Pal Terek calling for a medic. Slipping in and out of a healing trance, he remembered being taken to a field hospital, where he was administered bacta injections, along with vital vitamins and nutrients that his body had been lacking in the last days. His master assured him that after a minimum sleep time of two hours, he will be allowed to go and retrieve his missing lightsaber and gear.

 _What had happened meanwhile…_

Anakin cursed Dooku's luck. With no more rockets to spare and with the overheating of the rayguns, they could only follow the renegade jedi towards whatever hideout he was heading to.

As if it wasn't enough, the two geonosian escort fighters were giving the gunships an ever harder time.

After some more chasing, Dooku finally docked his speeder bike into a hangar hidden away inside a mountain. Anakin and Obi Wan jumped off their ship and immediately ran after him, lightsabers at the ready. The gunships, however, met their doom shortly after. With no means for escape, the two jedi'only choice was the violent one: taking the Count of Serenno captive or killing him.

Both stopped as they neared Dooku's spaceship. The Count turned and greeted them. In his young, foolish braziness, Anakin disregarded Obi Wan's attempts at a plan and charged the sith headlong. Seconds later, he was too surprised bt the Force Lightning attack to block it. The 20 year old padawan ended up smacked against the cave's granite walls.

"How particularly pitiful! I was hoping for a more worthy adversary!"the Count spat, before turning to the other jedi. "Master Kenobi, will you reconsider my offer?"he asked with a tinge of hope in his tone.

Having an accomplished jedi at his side instead of his still inexperienced dark acolytes would be a great asset. Who knows? If Darth Sidious would ever want to cast him aside like a useless pawn, he and Kenobi would take out the Dark Lord instead. Of course, he would only reveal his plans if Qui-Gon Jinn's former padawan accepted his alliance proposal. If not, then things had to continue as planned.

Obi Wan Kenobi, true to his vows and ideals as a jedi master, turned down that offer. In turn, he proposed that Dooku surrender and spare the Galaxy of another devastating civil war.

"Then, so be it!" was the Count's response, as he lit his crimson lightsaber and thus the duel began.

Obi Wan engaged in his preferred, defensive Soresu style, keeping his eyes open for any counterattacks that he might land on his adversary. Dooku, on the other hand, use his trademark Makashi, the second lightsaber form, one best suited for fencing and one on one battles such as this one. They exchanged many fast paced strikes, aiming for each other's necks, arms or legs, but with no result. Every hit would be met by a solid defence. Trying to break the stalemate, Dooku took a few steps back, then forced Kenobi into a saber-lock.

Obi Wan grabbed the hilt of his weapon with both hands, desperately trying to counteract this move. He was perfectly aware that his enemy was an adept of such moves; one slight miscalculation on his part and he could lose the battle, if not his life. Eventually, he broke the impasse, but, not too long after, Dooku caught him in yet another lock. Both lightsabers were giving off sparks and small lightnings from their continued collision.

The Jedi Masterr's hands were stretched out too far, his muscles too tense from the ongoing effort. It, therefore, didn't take long for Dooku to exploit the weakness. He pushed Obi Wan's lightsaber upwards, then shifted himself and cut his adversary, once on the left arm, near the shoulder and again on the left leg. Both wounds were deep enough to incapacitate the jedi, but were not enough to slice the members off.

Shaking his head in disappointment at the sight before him, Dooku silently apologized to his former friend, Qui-Gon, before twirling his lightsaber in his hand. He launched the final, fatal strike. Imagine the surprise in his eyes when green met crimson; the lowly Skywalker padawan blocking his strike.

" That's brave of you boy! But it's also incredibly foolish!" he bellowed. "You should have learned your place and stayed down!"

" I am a slow learner!" Anakin admitted.

His master shouted at him, throwing his blue lightsaber, which Skywalker easily caught. Then he engaged in a rudimentary Jar Kai assault against the Sith Lord.

Even with his successive whirlwind-like attacks, Anakin quickly lost his momentum- and his green coloured lightsaber. Left with his other, blue one, he retreated a few steps, cutting an energy coupling along the way. All lighting died out immediately. The two duelists took position. They measured each other for a full minute, before resuming their fight.

Anakin switched to a combination between Ataru and Djem So, trying to land swift, pin-point attacks on Dooku. When a strike would be blocked, he would have rotated, or sidestepped, then tried to swipe at him. However, none of his movements managed to at least graze Dooku, let alone incapacitate him. His adversary, on the other hand, drew him into exhaustion by allowing his flurry of strikes to reach him. By standing fast with his Makashi form, the Sith Lord eyed the perfect opportunity, in a too ambitious upper strike that Anakin wanted to land. Dooku then made to the right, parried and used the nigh-impossible angle to trace his lightsaber up until he reached Anakin's right arm, which he clinically amputated. A violent Force Push after, and the boy was sent into a nearby wall, right next to his master; unconscious from the shock.

As the renegade jedi master turned sith lord neared the duo, ready to finish them for good, he was Force Pulled a couple of meters. He felt an all too familiar presence approaching.

" Master Yoda, what a surprise?!"

What happened next was a brief exchange of pleasentries, followed by a Force duel and a lightsaber duel. To Obi Wan's amazement, the green, minuscule and, not to forget, old Grandmaster of the Jedi Order was almost too fast to register with his eyes. Even Dooku had to adit that his former master would best him if things went on like this. Also, the Clone Army was decimating his forces, so he had no choice but to flee.

Preying on the legendary, thousand year old weakness of the jedi- compassion-, Dooku used his free hand to pull apart a giant fuel reservoir, poised to fall on top of Anakin and Obi Wan.

Yoda had no choice but to break his attack and focus all his attention on saving his two fellow jedi.

Meanwhile, Dooku boarded his ship, which he used to escape. The relatively small sized and strong, hyperspace worthy craft managed to evade enemy fire and jump into the unknown. He would change his course randomly, then meet up with Lord Sidious. His acolytes would have to respect protocols and escape on their own, undetected.

 _Earlier, in another part of Geonosis…_

After finishing off that obnoxious nautolan jedi, Inanna turned her gaze back to the battle. That forceful admission- that confused even her-, still lingered in her thoughts. She had been taught to- and learned to- avoid weaknesses like a virus. Because that's what they were, her master, Darth Tyrannus- Count Dooku, had told her during one of her first lessons. First and foremost: a sith doesn't depend on others, not even his or her own master. Emotions were the drive behind a sith's power; behind the strength of the Dark Side itself. It was an emotion- fear- that had driven her and still drives her to obey her master's every wish and not step out of line, not trust, appreciation or any other. Obviously, there was respect on her part, none of them would deny that. Yet respect would be hard to gain and even harder to maintain.

Aside from fear, there were other, more vicious emotions that… helped her to control her powers? Or was it the other way around?

It didn't matter to her. Fuel for the burning fire, the raging inferno that was her heart, her soul, if not her entire being. Hate for the Hutts, for slavers, for corrupt politicians that wouldn't give a damn for their own citzens, let alone for the denizens of more remote planets, such as Tatooine. Then there was the need for revenge against the said bastards, to which she also added the Jedi Order.

"Defenders of Peace and Harmony", "Guardians of the Weak", "The Fairest of the Bunch" and what not!

She was repulsed by the mere mention of those titles.

She hated them ever since all those awful things happened, all those years ago, back on Tatooine.

What she did not know back then, as she met Dooku for the first time, was the fact that the old man in front of her was one of the sith- a jedi master fed up with corruption, ignorance, weakness and injustice. How that one meeting would shape her future… he couldn't have possibly imagined.

Did she regret her decision? Not in the least! It was the only choice and a good one at that!

But here she was now, watching the great battle that would open a devastating new war, unfold. Tens, no, hundreds jedi knights and masters were facing the seemingly endless waves of droids that her master and Archduke Poggle had fabricated. Entertaining as it were, she only had eyes for one element of the enemy ranks: Nelo Hivaarr.

How a padawan like him would almost make her rethink her life was a mystery… or maybe not. Like she told that stupid nautolan woman: he was special in many ways.

She watched him as he dispatched of many droids, geonosians. Moving on, he took out one of the giant shock cannons, much to her surprise. Appearently, he was able to use two lightsabers at once.

There was no time to lay about; jedi were still scouring the tribunes, cutting down her allies. Not that she cared about the latters, but still, she had to pay attention to her surroundings. Just when she was about to pounce on a human, female jedi, the droid general, that strange cyborg Grievous, stepped ahead of her.

" 'Hope I'm not taking your prey, acolyte?" he asked, trying not to sound superior.

" Not at all!" she waved her hand as if this was the most trivial thing in the world. "Have fun, general!" she added, before making her way back to the factory complex. The screams of the droid general's victim echoed through the corridors, an eerie death's call, some would call it. To her, it was akin to music.

She felt sleepy for some reason. Dooku hadn't called her, or left an order, so it meant he didn't give a frack about her for now, which was good, she thought. The trek to her appointed room was uneventful. It couldn't have been otherwise, since most of the jedi died or were evacuated, from what the reports informed her. She had a meeting with a certain someone to attend to later and had therefore a lot of free time on her hands. Let the stupid tin cans take care of the Republic's forces. It did not matter if they lost or won this day. Essentially, as her master had said, it would be irelevant. What was truly relevant to her was seeing Hivaarr and perhaps it was wishful thinking, convert him to her cause. That way he could be at her side all time long, much to her heart's desire.

Even in her field bed, she didn't take off her armor and robes. For simple reasons too! She never truly fell asleep. Instead, she was going to fall into a kind of trance, somewhere inbetween sleep and being awake, thus staying aware of her surroundings.

She welcomed that state. Some rest was in order, after the last days. She would also need it for what was to come, she was sure of that.

 **Author's note:**

 **A larger, though still intermediate chapter for you, until I get to accommodate to my moving to Germany for University. It could be some time before I update next.**

 **Anyway, there you go! The war is here, Nelo is given another chance, though he seems to be under close supervision. Will he slip? Will the masters take action against him soon? It remains to be seen…**

 **What of Inanna?**

 **I can guarantee that she'll make things more interesting…**

 **Any suggestions, observations you wish to make, please leave them in the** **review** **section or send them to me via** **PM**

 _ ***credits for the song go to the band: The Birthday Massacre***_

 _ *** I don't own Star Wars or any of its spinoffs, just the OCs, nothing more; no profit here, obviously**_ _ *****_

 **See you next time, fellow Star Wars fans!**


	14. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15:** _ **Search yourself. Find yourself. Be yourself.**_

 **[Song suggestion: TNG Enigma- Beauty in the Darkness]**

After about three hours of much needed sleep, Nelo Hivaarr forced himself to wake up. The healing trance that Pal Taruk had induced him in worked its miracles: he recuperated. His strength, as well as part of his energy had returned; he surely felt better.

After a ten minute long exercise session, he managed to completely wake up the his whole body. He took off his bed clothes and replaced them with his armor, which he carefully inspected. Much to his surprise, someone tried to put recording devices in it… That same someone also tried to gain access to the secret compartiments. Suspicious, he casted wary glances all around him. With utmost care, he removed all the devices that he found; a total of five. Luckily, all the important stuff as still there. He now only lacked his DL-44 and his lightsaber, an issue that he would solve later.

He was instantly reminded of Inanna. He prayed to the Force that she hadn't died during the two great battles that had taken place today. He needed to return to her; to go back to that factory near the arena.

After he was done with the preparations, he exited the makeshift private medial room that he was in. Outside, just next to the door, were both Pal Taruk and Krav Erladin, relief all over their faces and in their stances, as they noticed him.

The zabrak jedi spoke first.

"I'm so glad to see you are alright, Nelo! Taruk here's told me that you were a top notch commander out there!" he stated, while pointing his finger at his green skinned twi'lek brother, who simply smiled and bowed his head in respect.

Nelo reciprocitated the gesture and sat down with them.

" It is the truth! His powers are nothing short of spectacular, although…" he trailed off for a few seconds until Nelo coughed impatiently.

"I'm right nere, you know, Pal! Better tell me what's gotten into you!"

He regained his composure, straightened himself, his tone even:

" Well, from what I've seen, your powers, great as they are, are lacking in sustainability. You might not have realized, but during the attacks you were leading, I was actively supplying you with Force energy. To put it simply, your powers were so great and costly, that they drived you to absorb any Force Push that I sent your way. Without me doing that, I doubt that you would have succeeded!"

" As I have feared!" added Erladin, concerned for the well being of his padawan. "You cannot control your powers. It is your ambition that is pushing your body over its normal capacity. Watch it, else you may become addicted to Force powers and that insatiable hunger leads to the Dark Side!" the warning was real and based on clear facts, that none of the three, especially Nelo, would deny. "Go now! I've found you a speeder that should serve you well! Return with your gear and senator Amidala's starship!"

Nelo bowed to both of them and took the two lightsabers that he used up until now. Who knows when or if he was going to need them?

He got on his speeder and drove it to the highest speeds available, relying on his senses to dodge any obstacles.

Taruk sighed, as he watched the teenager leave.

" The Grandmaster was right in his assumptions. We will have to take some mesures against him! Too much leniency and he'll think that he could get away with everything he does wrong!"

" Too much harshness and we will have alienated a most gifted jedi!" Krav Erladin replied, unfazed by his colleague's opinion.

"I'm just warning you, Erladin! Do not let your attachment towards your padawan cloud your better judgement! Remember: you are his master, not his father!"

They did not speak for another five minutes. Both were pondering what had happened and what they should be doing to avoid any problems. Standing outside of the field tent, they saw tens upon tens of clones being taken to the hospitals, some of them having suffered gruesome injuries. Many will not make it past the operating table, while a part of those that were conscious were screaming, crying or cursing their bad luck. It wasn't a sight for the faint of heart. War never was. And war had the infuriating habit of turning the best of people into monsters or shells of their former selves, or lead to other painful incidents or developments.

Many clones from Erladin's company would have died, were it not for Nelo's efforts. But, as history seemed to prove it over and over again, all that good would eventually be negated by the saviour's betrayal. And, Force forbid, such cases had been many; evil, tragic acts echoing for hundreds of years. Starting with the rogue jedi's rebellion that led to the corruption of the Massassi Sith species, then continuing with Exar Kun, Ulic Qel-Droma, Malak, Revan, Kreia, just to note the more famous of them. One man or woman alone, trying to right the wrongs of the entire Galaxy would only wnd up making things worse, eventually.

Pal Taruk was aware of all this. He had been surprised when Grandmaster Yoda asked him to supervise the boy. At first, he shrugged it off; called it overreacting, but he complied nonetheless. On the battlefield though, amidst sandstorms, laser fire, debris flying everywhere, clones and droids getting obliterated, he saw _**it**_.

As much as he didn't want to believe it, it was there. That obnoxious, elusive seed of the Dark Side. He doubted that the boy had ever discovered it, for it lay hidden from plain sight, covered by his desire to defend all those that he feels responsible to and of. That led to him overstretching his limits at an alarmingly fast rate.

Tow possible outcomes, none of them pleasant, came to mind:

Nelo has a nervous and/or bodily breakdown, which would render him aggressive and uncooperative for a long period of time.

He lusts for even more power, getting addicted to it and, slowly or not, turns to the Dark Side.

Anyway, he pitied Krav Erladin. His fellow Jedi Knight will have a hard time explaining all these facts to the High Council.

Internally, he also sighed. He now had to file a 20 pages long report on his most recent assignment, as well as take responsibility for a certain block on Nelo's powers.

What a day!

 _Someplace else, sometime later…_

Some would call him paranoid. Others may label him insane, a nutcase. Eitherway, he cared little for the common citzen's opinion of him at the moment. What he did, essentially, was crush his speeder into a mountain. Cruel, yes. Stupid, perhaps. Necessary, oh yes!

With how many bugs Pal Taruk and his masters had placed on all his stuff, there was bound to be at least one in the vehicle and he didn't want to take any chances.

He was about to meet a very powerful, yet emotionally unstable, thus completely unpredictable sith lady. Any unwanted intrusion would certainly wreck his efforts. But then, he asked himself: what were his efforts? What purpose did they serve? What goals did he have in mind?

To be honest, he had no such _goals_. Rather, he acted as he judged it to be best; to be most humane. That included mending the soul and heart of a girl that had been harshly treated by life, enough to be sent into the arms of the Sith.

He walked for the reminder of the distance, reaching the arena in surprisingly short time. No one would want to linger too long out in the open, with how things were. He climbed a set of stairs that led to one of the tribunes. Once he was at the top, he was able to grasp the magnitude of the jedi'struggles. Over one hundred- nearly two hundred- bodies were scattered all over the place, some bearing worse wounds than the rest.

Activating his helmet's binoculars, he scouted the place for any visible and invisible threats. To his surprise, he found no active droid, no booby traps, geonosians or anything else alive or functional around.

He reached for his lightsabers. Usually, when the enemy zone seems quiet, there's some hidden threat just beyond one's senses. Wary of each sound, he made his way through the dark, humid and maze-like tunnels of the geonosian factory. How thankful was for his suit of armor. True, it wasn't the most beautiful piece of engineering, but it gets the job done, so to say. It may be a sort of patched-up thing, yet it offered him just what he needed. Like the nightvision, for example.

Now the hard part was finding a certain someone in all this mess of a building. She never told him where he was supposed to meet with her. Although, the Nabooian Starfighter was a pretty good landmark. Why not go there first? he asked himself.

 _Waking from a nightmare…_

… Inanna slowly opened her eyes and scrutinized her surroundings; nothing.

Her half-sleep had been both refreshing and unpleasant, for it brought up some unwanted memories.

" Ahh! It's probably because of the damned necklace!" she cursed. And because of the person who gave it back to her.

" _Are you still the beautiful, smiling girl from that picture?"_ his sincere, if not a bit sad and quite innocent voice, rang in her mind.

It wasn't as if he managed to make her regret her choice. Given what had happened… Anyway, were she to be put in the exact same situation, she would again and again join Dooku and learn the ways of the Dark Side. The power that had been unlocked through those teachings was what she really wanted. Feeling weak again… that was out of the question. She now possessed the means to destroy almost anyone who dared approaching her.

A short sting in her skin. A Force user was not that far away. Alarmed, she readied herself in under a minute. Her black attire allowed her to easily blend in the darkness of the corridors.

"What a befitting image of me!"she thought as she imagined how familiar, how intimate she felt with the shadows, the unseen, the unknown.

The big, bad, scary demon that would haunt the dreams of children… and adults alike. She smiled at that idea.

Turning, she saw a figure in the distance. The stranger was making his way towards the hidden passage of the upper levels. Only one thing of value was in that area, namely the senator's starship. So she followed suit, carefully and quietly. Eventually, as they exited the underlevels, light found its way into the factory's corridors (how could it not, given the numerous holes that the battle had left in the roof and some of the walls as well).

Recognition flashed her yellow, sith eyes. That patchwork armor belonged to the only foold that would ever chance coming here alone, after all that had happened. Shadows no longer an option, the dark acolyte chose to reveal herself. In fact, she did quite the menacing entrance, red lightsaber activating.

In an instant, Nelo Hivaarr ignited both his azure and his emerald lightsabers, turning around to face the threat.

Or was it really a threat?

Well, with Inanna he couldn't tell. But… he could remove some of the tension in the air. So he said with a mockingly Windu-like voice:

" Beware of the Dark Side, child, for it would forever twist your life! Stay away from this path!"

As she heard his near perfect impersonation of a particularly grumpy, stern Jedi Master, Inanna wasn't sure if she should laugh or, rather, hit the padawan.

He, however, ended his tirade and removed his helmet. A smile then formed its way across his face.

" Hello there, my lady! Good to see you're alive!" he bowed his head a little.

Even though she liked being called lady( or mistress, depending on each case), she shrugged off his pleasentries with a wave of her hand.

" 'You always tring to annoy me?" she asked with a sliver of amusement.

" Have I? Must have slipped my mind!" he joked again, this time taking a few steps forward.

Duly noted, though, none of them laid down their weapons during the time they neared each other. So, after a couple of minutes of silence, it was Inanna that spoke of the matter.

" I see that I was correct in my assumptions, Nelo dear! You managed to kill a Kell Dragon, although a baby one at that!" she laughed evily, her smirk hidden by her face cover. Only the glint in her golden eyes enabled Hivaarr to read it.

"Well, it was quite the challenge! Nevermind that I was tired, beaten, shot and shackled; those are just details!" he replied on a mockingly hurt tone, but then slumped his shoulders and looked away. "Enough about me! What have you been up to today, your evilness?"

" Me?" she almost purred. " I've been busy avoiding being killed by your people. Oh, by the way…" she suddenly remembered to show him that she didn't lose his trademark golden lightsaber. " I reckon this belongs to you!"

He extinguished his emerald saber, clipping it to his belt. After that he reached for his prized weapon, only for the dark acolyte to take it back.

" I didn't say you could have it; not like that!"

Inanna took a few steps back, her body turning to a dueling posture. Her killer-siren voice sang in his ears yet again:

" You'll have to survive a _Dance Macabre_ with me to earn it!"

Baffled for a couple of seconds, Nelo shook his head and put his helmet back on. Both weapons to the ready, he made a mental note to stay on the defence. Any Force energy that he would need would have to be siphoned from her. No risking exhaustion this time!

She narrowed her eyes at him. Something was different, though what exactly, she did not know. He looked more… prudent, for lack of a better word. Her eyes and senses almost never deceived her; Hivaarr was wary of something. Whatever it was, she would soon find out.

A couple of seconds later, the dark acolyte launched herself in a straightforward attack. The red plasma blade hummed menacingly in the medium sized corridor that they were in, akin to the deadly rays of a supernova.

Nelo prepared himself for the worst. He concentrated on channeling his Force energy into his trademark _Absorb_ , yet he was horrified that it did not work. He tried and tried again, but with no result.

" _Shit, shit, shit! What's going on? Why can't I use it? It couldn't have been exhausted!" he shouted mentally._

He was vulnerable without that form of protection. His normal shield also didn't work anymore. Add to that the fact that he was used to fight with a single blade, instead of two, and one might find that the odds were stacked against him… again. Fate was incredibly ironic of late.

Inanna, on her part, aimed low. A predilection for throwing adversaries off balance, no doubt. What's more, her Makashi style was forcing him to extend his defensive moves. If that would go on, he would end up being overstretched, overwhelmed. Saber locks were notoriously dangerous, as one wrong move, one's misplaced weight usually resulted in amputation or death on one side or the other.

That's when he changed his Shien with Jar'Kai, also throwing in some Ataru. It seemed to grant him at least some freedom of movement.

First, he deflected a strike that went for his upper left leg. Next, he stopped another strike aimed for his right hand, then he rotated himself, forcing Inanna to take a few steps back. A quick kick to the stomach sent her into the wall.

Amazed and infuriated by the turn of events, she snarled, using Force Speed and her own blend of Ataru. Akin to a whirlwind, she pummeled Nelo Hivaarr's defences.

" Let's see how you like my _sandstorm dance_!" she shouted a little too maniacally.

Obviously, he didn't like it! Every blow that he parried was weakening his grip on his lightsabers. The speed and the ferocity of Inanna's "Dance" never even allowed him a counterattack, not enough time even for a Force Push. He still couldn't properly channel his energy into absorb. That also meant that his Vaapad was out of the question.

" _How? Why? Since when can't I use those techniques?" he asked himself._ It was as if someone had restricted that particular power. A part of him argued that he was being paranoic, nothing else; that he was too tired to cast such an ability. Another part of him said that, on the contrary, he had enough energy to actually use the Absorb at least once, but something… or someone was blocking it.

He could only test such a theory if his other, core abilities, were blocked as well. Jumping back, he extended his hands in a powerful Force Push… which didn't work at all.

Shocked beyond comprehension, he barely had enough time to raise his lightsabers in defence. His connection to the Force hadn't been blocked, but it had been tampered with; limited, somehow.

Her flurry of attacks threw him back again and again. As things were going at the moment, he didn't stand a real chance and she knew that.

After pushing Nelo into a corner of the room, she suddenly deactivated her weapon. When he didn't relax his stance at least, she Force Gripped him without inflicting pain, just disarming him.

" At ease, my dear padawan!" she said with a cooing voice, the golden eyes sending a piercing glare into his purple ones. Then she released him just as suddenly. " I said I wanted us to dance, not kill each other, remember?"

" I don't know!" he massaged his neck. "Dance Macabre does sound pretty deadly to me!"

" … _just like you!"_ he added in thought.

She chuckled, but then backed down a bit. With a motion of her hand, Inanna beckoned him to follow her into a remote room; she told him it was her own, room. Evidently, that place had been cleared of all possible recoding devices that the Geonosians have installed so as to keep an eye on such an honored guest. It was private enough for the dark acolyte.

Meanwhile, Nelo seemed impressed that he found himself in a relatively comfy, good looking chamber. The walls were made of rock, but the owner- or the guest- had them painted midnight black wth dark red sith symbols and other similar decorations. The furniture was minimalistic; just enough for someone like her. The bed was a bit of a mess, admittedly, the grey pillows and covers strewn about, but, other than that, the place was relatively tidy, with no hint of dirt. And then, into a corner of the room, hidden behind one of the smaller tables, was the crate with his stuff.

" Nice place you've got here, my lady!" he complimented, also letting out a low whistle.

" Thank you! The slaves were thorough in their efforts!" she answered, earning a strange look and a sigh from him.

" Really? You just had to say something like that, didn't you?"

" My-my, young padawan! You should know whom you are dealing with!" again she used that almost seductive tone.

She seated herself on the only armchair there, reveling in the softness of the plush. When he remained standing, Inanna gestured for him to seat on the bed. Reluctantly, he did that.

After a minute of studying each other, it was his time to get her to talk.

" So what have YOU been doing today, esteemed shadow dweller?"

" Me?" she liked the titles that he came up with; they were befitting. "Well…" she began counting with her fingers. "First, I woke up, had breakfast, then a few sith training sessions…"

He laughed a bit. " You making a joke? I think Tatooine just froze!"

She used a small Force Push on him, burying him in the bed sheets.

"Killjoy! Right, I spoke with Count Dooku about you, so that he might test you, not outright kill you! For some reason, Skywalker is the one he wants to turn to the Dark Side and you, well, you stepped inbetween. After that, well, you know that Arena fight better than I do!" she spoke on a serious tone this time.

The next part would be an interesting one. Seeing his reaction at the news of the nautolan's demise will allow Inanna to gage his true opinion about her.

He, on the other hand, was troubled by the news. Not only was Anakin in danger, but Dooku had also set his sights upon him. Add to that the fact that his fellow Jedi were going to keep an eye on his situation for a while. Nelo now knew that he had to thread carefully from now on, regardless of time or place.

"… That reminds me…!" she interrupted his thoughts. Moments later, his lightsaber flew at him and he managed to expertly catch it, afterwards turning it on.

The crystals were intact, so was the hilt, the power coupling, yet something felt… odd, out of place. It had not been there the last time he wielded the weapon; a trace of darkness, of taint. Concentrating on the blade for a full two minutes, his conscience made contact with the special yellow crystal powering it. Essentially, what he did was ask the Force blessed object what had transpired. The answer he received wasn't a pleasant one

 _ **Death…Kill…Torture…Agony…**_

Opening his eyes, he repressed a shudder as he took in the dark acolyte's robed figure, scanning for any trace of combat that might offer him an answer. Indeed, a few places on her robe had suffered burns.

" _So it was a battle after all!"_

He took a deep breath, looked her in the eyes and simply asked.

" When?"

Baffled by hus question or, rather, by him not asking her to explain/confess her crimes, she answered, although with a hint of hesitance.

" After your first wave of rescuers arrived! A red skinned nautolan girl" she seethed the words. "…just had to royally step on my toes!"she leaned forward while calmly and menacingly saying: "And she died horrifyingly for that!"

Again, he fell silent, no doubt carefully laying out his next questions; smart boy.

" What did she say to get you to do that?"

He sounded… tired, accepting? No, she was just imaging it; wishful thinking, nothing more. None would be accepting or understanding of such a deed, especially a jedi.

" The bitch insulted my upbringing, my life, my hardships, my way of life… and- she added with almost a whisper- she trashed your name around!"

Now that left him speechless for a bit. When he regained composure, he could barely articulate words into sentances.

"You would go to all these lengths just to stand up for me? And I thought you never cared!" he said, seriously at first, but then chuckled a bit.

" _ **WHAT?"**_ her mind screamed, but then she saw him give a cheeky grin.

Snarling at him, she couldn't repress an indignant puff. She wasn't in the least prepared for the next question.

" Are you still that beautiful, smiling girl from that picture? Inanna… are you still yourself?" he asked with a hint of pleading and one of sadness.

" Why do you ask me this? Do you think that I've lost myself since becoming a sith?" a bit of betrayal had seeped into her tone. Her body also tensed. He was threading on a minefield.

"No! I ask because you need to be yourself; you have to do what you think is best, not what your master or anyone else commands of you!"

" And? Have I not already disobeyed him to save your skin?" she replied coldly.

He then got off the bed and took a few brave steps forward.

" True!... Did it feel the same when you killed my fellow jedi?" this time he spoke on a measured tone, his eyes unreadable, his body forcefully relaxed.

" Yes it did! She had it coming! No one talks like that to me and gets to live!"

He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, facing the ceiling.

" Then I shall mourn my colleague and pray that you stay on your own path, forge your own life and enjoy it as much as you can!" he added. He then faced her, locking her with his gaze. " You never did answer my question!" he smiled. " Are you still… you in there, beneath all that see of poison?"

Again with that pleading voice. Again with his enormous capacity to understand those that are different from him. Had he no fear of defying boundries?

Seems not, a part of her mused. Still, he did earn the right to see her true image, not the scary, looming shadow that she projected all the time. So, before he could react, she took off her outer robes, including the face mask.

Nelo just stood there, shocked by what was happening. She was revealing herself. Even in her armor, her body looked athletic, well maintained and-daresay- alluring. She wasn't too tall, but her usual image gave off that impression. Now she looked… normal.

But her face, Gods and Stars and Force, was she beautiful. Despite all the hardships and Dark Side exposure, Inanna's features were still natural, cute, attractive. Even though her eyes still bore the yellow colour, her veins had receded once again. Her olive skin looked smooth, no sympthomatic paleness. Her facial features a bit sharp, yet well balanced. The removal of the hood caused her rich, brown hair to flow freely.

There was something alluring about her. Perhaps that dangerous, rarissime, untamed beauty.

Nelo remembered something important. Back on Tatooine, as a means to thank him for his generous gift, Beru had given him a stunning turquoise flower- a _Desert's Raindrop_ Rose. She said that it was extremely rare and had was one only gave up one of those to someone special.

" _ **Someone special…"**_

With no sudden movements, he reached into his chest compartiment. Inanna watched him with intent, carefully scrutinizing his every move. She left her lightsaber on her belt, as had he, although the dark acolyte was still capable of neutralizing any threat.

Nelo, however, did not take out a knife, a grenade or a pistol; none of that. Instead, he revealed a … shining flower, which he then put at her left ear in a swift, precise motion- she was too stunned to stop him.

" There you go!" he smiled, then bowed theatricly. "My lady, you look stunning!"

Inanna felt strange. Something terribly weird was bubbling up somewhere in her belly. She didn't know what it was. Plus, her Dark Side was whispering warning after warning, though for the first time in years, the dark acolyte chose to ignore it.

Tenderly, she adjusted the flower with her hands. Moments later, she found herself in front of the only mirror in the room.

Now that she thought about it, she was pretty. A few grins and smiles found their way on her face, practically illuminating her entire persona.

Nelo Hivaarr was internally berating himself for falling for a dark lady's mysterious, dangerous, exoctic charms. It was kind of ironic that Anakin found his love in the form of a former queen and current galactic senator and he… he found Inanna…

… who suddenly turned towards him, smiling and she winked seductively. His face certainly took a shade of red. Her smile widened and Inanna slowly walked up to him, her every step sending strange shivers down Nelo's spine. She stopped mere centimetres from his face. He could smell her sweet, Felucian strawberry perfume. He could see the yellow eyes start losing their shine, being replaced with stark, emerald ones.

Something was definitely brewing between them; Force knew what.

To hell with all those stupid rules, his body and soul screamed.

Without a second thought, he closed his eyes and their lips met. He felt as if his body had been struck by a mellow lightning. His thoughts were jumbled, his heartbeats, erratic. There was something magical in their touch.

Inanna, on the other hand, felt like an angel. Her Dark Side whispers had stopped, her wariness had disappeared, her icy, killer demeanor had melted. Her mind was struggling to comprehend what was going on. Her body felt like it had been drugged, though it wasn't.

He was to blame, she shouted and then laughed in her own mind. His understanding, his tenderness, his likeable character, his bravery and open mind. Not to talk about an open heart!

For the first time since she'd been born, she truly felt like one of those fairytale princesses she had often read about- the half evil ones, of course!

She broke the kiss and reveled in his embrace, as did he. To the both of them, the rest of the Universe didn't matter.

 **Author's note:**

 **There you go, readers, a double sized chapter focused solely on the "opposites-attract" OC relationship.**

 **It'll be a while until I'll upload another chapter.**

 **I can't wait to hear your thoughts!**

 **The next chapters might also be based on your suggestions/ ideas, so leave a review or send me a PM**

 _ ***credits for the song go to TNG Enigma ***_

 _ *** I don't own Star Wars or any of its spinoffs, just the OCs, nothing more; no profit here, obviously**_ __ _ *****_

 **See you next time, fellow Star Wars fans!**


	15. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16:** _ **Punishments. Dangerous thoughts**_

 **[Song Suggestion: SIRENIA:** _ **One by One]**_

 **{interlude period- clone wars animated series coming up in the next chapters}**

… neither of them realized just how much time they spent in each other's arms. Only the decreasing sunlight was of any indication; they might as well be on their way.

Sighing, Inanna Shapish, Dark Acolyte of Darth Tyrannus, released Nelo Hivaarr, Padawan of the Jedi Order.

He spared her another caring glance, then he gathered his gear, putting each item back in its specific place (his armor really did have a lot of pockets, holsters and hidden spaces, for which he was thankful).

She too grabbed a pack with essentials: rations, credits, meds, spare parts for her lightsaber, a change of clothes and a transmitter. Anything else was pretty much useless and would only slow her down.

Once they were both done, they faced each other again: he in his trademark armor, but with the helmet in his hands; she in her menacing robes, but no mask of any other head covers. Their eyes locked on each other, uncertain if they would ever meet again on " friendly" circumstances. However brief, or long, their moment together meant so much that they could not truly fathom. In fact, to the most experienced Force Users of the Galaxy, it would have been unthinkable. Dark and Light Side of the Force, in a strange communion, lacking the normal chaos between them. Two halves to form a whole.

She was the first to speak:

" You know… you could always leave the Order and join me!" she dared even smile, as the inviting…seducing… words came out.

The teenage padawan smiled in return and grasped her hand. Her eyes went wide; she had never expected him to accept. Would this one time dream of her come true? She kept on smiling. He will be hers and she will enjoy letting their passion go wild. None will keep her away from…

But then, he closed her palm, brought it to his mouth and kissed it. With words clear as mountain water, and just as icy to her burning desires, he answered.

" Just as you need to be yourself, I too have my own path to walk, Inanna!"

Her eyes started turning golden again; her right cheek twitched a couple of times. Also, her body looked to have stiffened.

Yet he didn't let go. He pulled her hand and placed it on his chest.

" Don't ever doubt your heart… as I won't doubt mine!" he pleaded, to which she took his own hand and placed it where she thought was the place for a heart. Did she truly have one?

He bowed his head and shot her a grin.

" Well, my lady, our time is up! Better get back to our respective masters! Don't want to get either of us punished, now do we?"

Slowly, carefully, she let go and measured him. Giving a small nod of approval, she proceeded to finish covering herself up.

Once they were done and out of the room, they bid each other farewell.

" Until our next dance then!" she said, half jokingly. He too chuckled at that.

" Well, next time give me the basics, please! Or just a casual dance at least!"

" Do I look like a _casual lady_ to you?" she mused, activating the lightsaber.

" Ha! That's the line of the day!" after a few seconds he added. "And no… you are quite special!"

She was thankful for the mask hiding her features, for she did blush a little.

" Indeed I am!" she spoke coyly.

" I just remembered! I'm taking the senator's starship back. Need a lift?"

After pondering for a short time, she declined, pointing out that the droids or the ship altogether might notice her and sound the alarm; not to talk about any other possible factors.

" As I said, until our next dance!"

As suddenly as she said that, Inanna blended in the growing darkness, disappearing from sight. Funny, not even Nelo's armor's sensors could pick her up.

Hivaarr then made his way towards senator Amidala's spacecraft.

The sleek, slender design and the silver colour made the vessel impossible to miss, amidst the rugged, redish mountain valley. By a strange stroke of luck, no harm had come to it.

As he boarded the ship, he was greeted by an extatic series of beeps, which he deduced to be Artoo's happy kind of words. Not too late afterwards came Threepio's own greeting.

" Oh! Friend Hivaarr, it is such a relief to see a familiar face after the horrors of this day!"

In response, Artoo hit his leg, throwing the golden protocol droid off balance- and sprawled all over the floor. Another quick series of beeps.

" Of course I'm grateful for you helping me!" Threepio turned to Nelo and added. " After miss Padme returned to look after you with my little friend here, I grew worried and infiltrated the factory!" something close to a sigh followed. " Who would have thought that I'll end up with my head on a battle droid's body and vice versa- at the same time!?" his metallic erratic voice cried.

Nelo, however, burst into laughing. He could almost picture the whole thing in his head. What were the chances of that happening?

" … _Well, what were the chances of meeting her… and kissing her?"_

He decided never again to trust in odds and chances. It was time for him to get his mind back on track.

" I'll be piloting the ship back to our main command centre. We're bound to find Anakin and Padme there! Artoo, help me out, would you?"

Piloting that royal contraption wasn't too difficult, not with the astromech giving him a hand. From time to time, due to exhaustion or stray droid fire, he did slip and the ship took a drastic turn to the left or right or even plunged, but all in all, he managed to navigate through stray enemy fighters, droids and narrow canyons. Eventually he reached the safety of friendly lines.

Anti-Aircraft batteries came to the rescue, decimating whatever enemies were still following them.

" Republic Comman, Republic Command! This is padawan Nelo Hivaarr requesting permission to land senator Amidala's personal ship!" he broadcasted on a given channel.

After a brief pause, the approval came:

" Commander Hivaarr, it's good to have you back! Land at port XY12 please!" the clone trooper operator answered.

Ten minutes later, Nelo walked out of the ship, closely followed by the two droids. He was greeted by a battalion of clone troopers. Fearing the worst, he tensed, but his worries were brushed aside when one after the other, they took off their helmets. He recognized one of them as XT1205, or captain Craig, with his green, medium cut Mohawk-hair.

" And there he is, our glorious hero!" he told his men, who cheered. Turning back to him, he went on. " I must say It's good to see you're alright, sir! Serving under you had been a privilege for all of us! Did you know that of all the companies, ours had the least casualties? We live to fight another day because of you! For that you have our thanks!" his hand went to his brow in a militaristic salute, closely followed by the rest of his brother clones.

Nelo saluted as well. His stunt with the gunship may have earned him the Council's ire, but it was worth it. It sure as hell felt worth it. And put in the same situation, he was dead set on doing it again. Compassion was, after all, the nr 1 tenant of the Jedi tradition, or so he thought was taught until today.

One after another, the soldiers shook his hand, bidding him farewell. It was almost certain then: he would not join the frontlines any time soon, or at all. Or, at least, not with his squad.

One ensign was sent for him, so Nelo followed the messager to the ad-hoc meeting of the jedi masters.

As he entered the military issue tent, he was confronted with Master Windu's pointed gaze, Grandmaster Yoda's thoughtful expression, his master, Erladin's slightly worried face plus Pal Taruk and Obi Wan Kenobi. The latter smiled sympatheticly, if only for a couple of seconds.

" Hello, _padawan_ Hivaarr!" Windu greeted, severe as always. " Take a seat!" he gestured with his hand towards the only free chair at the table (how ironic).

Silence followed. To him it was as if everyone was trying to ignore the elephant in the room, while also appearing as understanding and wise as the job demanded it. He didn't get his hopes up. There was only one reason for him to be summoned here and now: to discuss the "Force Drain" incident as he called it.

The unspoken tension hung heavily in the air around them. One couldn't cut through it with a lightsaber, he thought. But he could try to mitigate damage.

Turning to Obi Wan, he asked:

" Hello, master Kenobi! Are Anakin and miss Padme alright? We were separated during the battle…!"

" Well, we continued our assault, then followed Count Dooku's trail. Padme fell out of the ship along with a clone trooper, but they made it to safety. Me and Anakin confronted Dooku…" his gaze turned down for a bit, in shame. Only now could Nelo see that master Kenobi's arms were covered in bacta patches. "… who defeated us and severed Anakin's right hand as well!"

Nelo felt like bantha dung at that moment. He should have been there, kicking that sith lord's butt to the stars and back. But, alas, it wasn't meant to be. Even so, he was itching to strike down that menace once and for all.

Nodding in thanks for the news, he turned his attention to the others, especially Yoda.

" Of your recent exploits, we must speak, padawan!" the Grandmaster of the Order began.

" It has come to our attention that your powers have tended to spiral out of control today, padawan!" Windu followed suit.

" Well, one does get tired after days' worth of effort! Not that I faced a dark jedi, a damned Kell Dragon and had to survive that massacre in the arena! With all due respect, would it have been better for all of us to die: me, my master and the rest of the troopers aboard that gunship?" Hivaarr not so politely stated the facts, reinforcing his belief that what he'd done was the necessary-the only- way.

" Even if that were true, it is irrelevant to the issue at hand!" Pal Taruk interjected. "As per my orders, I insured your well being during the battle. At the same time, I noticed that your Force Protect was overextended. As a result, your Force Absorb manifested itself in an attempt to feed the growing energy demand. At that moment, I deemed it best to supply the energy through successive Force Pushes, which were siphoned immediately without you even noticing! In the end, padawan Hivaarr most likely saved the lives of his men and led them to victory, but fainted shortly after. For that reason, I put a block on his powers! That is all there is to say!" he stressed and fell silent.

While one might see him appear relatively calm on the outside, Nelo surely had trouble suppressing his seething emotions.

The presence of so many masters was discouraging- not to say disheartening and he feared the worst.

" Calm, you must remain, padawan!" Yoda interrupted his thoughts.

" We would be blind not to acknowledge your feats!" Obi Wan encouraged.

" But we should also make sure that this will not happen again!" Krav Erladin spoke on a forcefully neutral tone.

Nelo could see that his master was not in agreement with whatever the others had planned for him. He wondered what that may actually be.

" _Exile?...No, too harsh!...Demotion? Likely!... Suppressing my powers or stripping me of them? Most likely!"_

How ironic! By being a jedi, he got the short end of the stick. Next time, he'll just jump out of the ship and hope his Force Protect will save him from getting splashed all over the ground. It certainly sounded more…jedi, right?

" _I should have just taken Inanna's offer! It really was a tempting one!"_ he berated himself, smiling briefly at that thought.

" Thic Council has decided… that you must wear a Force Suppresion Collar for a certain period of time!" Windu stated.

Even though he expected it, it still unnerved Nelo. He was a Force blessed being. The energies of the Galaxy were intertwined with him, just as with any other jedi…and maybe sith too. Suddenly living without it would be like having a ghost limb: knowing it is there, or rather, should be there, when in fact it isn't.

"…Also," Pal Taruk added on a tone that was as cold as Hoth itself. "…you will not be joining your master in the upcoming battles!"

" I BEG YOUR PARDON?" Nelo retorted, outraged.

" What my colleague so bluntly said was that you need time to rest and recuperate; also, meditate on recent events! There is no point in straining you any further, after those last few days!" Obi Wan diplomaticly reshaped the words.

It made sense, in a way, although he still wasn't okay with it.

" With patience, and time, control comes! A jedi is no slave to emotions. Remember how to walk the balanced path, you must!" Grandmaster Yoda told the padawan, regarding him with a serious, yet fair look.

" A decision has been reached then!" Pal Taruk said as he removed the barriers he put on Nelo.

The few seconds in which he could channel the Force overjoyed the padawan. However, master Windu pinned him on the spot with a Force Stasis, while Pal Taruk slapped the Force Suppression Collar around Hivaarr's neck, effectively rendering the latter powerless.

The next minutes meant excruciating pain for the teen jedi. He couldn't help but fall on his back. His heart was beating at abnormal speeds. His chest hurt. It was as if his lungs were filled with shards of glass. Breathing was hard. Not breathing meant was even worse. His body was convulsing. His mind was screaming, silently begging for the pressure to end. The neuro-shock he was experiencing was the equivalent of getting every inch of his body stabbed by a hundred needles. The spasmodic episodes were a sign of how in tune with the Force was "the prisoner". Nelo felt his limbs turn to jelly, then water, then he thought he had been hit by lightning. Muscles seemed to be tearing apart, his bones shattering and recovering just as fast. On and off, on and off, again and again for a full ten minutes.

In the end, he went limp, only his eyes could still be kept open. Even hearing took some extra concentration.

"… is a sign of addiction! I warned you years ago…" Windu no doubt.

"… solution is only temporary… like that and he will slowly die!" Obi Wan protested- or it seemed like it; he couldn't tell.

"…we will decide… as it develops…" Pal Taruk…

Nelo gritted his teeth as he cranked his head in his direction and glared. That glare had so much hate in it- was so cold, that they stopped their talk and stared at each other with concern.

The teen faded into a dreamless sleep.

 _***[…..]***_

" What happened to him?" Anakin asked as he was still clenching and unclenching his right, prosthetic hand.

His brother by oath was strapped to a medical table, a strange collar around his neck. Hie eyes were closed, but his skin was getting paler. Also, from time to time, a spasm would cause sudden movements.

It didn't look right at all. Anakin felt like the best approach would be to get that… thing off of Nelo as soon as possible; get him out of that state.

Sensing what his padawan intended to do, Obi Wan Kenobi laid a hand on Anakin's left shoulder and calmly explained the situation to him, while pointing at the boy.

" He is young, ambitious and good hearted! Overexhaustion claimed him because he forced himself well over his normal limits, backfiring and turning his Force Absorb into Force Drain! Ultimately, this measure will help him!" he let out a sigh, as he removed his hand and stepped forward. " Dark aligned powers are extremely dangerous, hard to control. Their fuel is one's emotions. We couldn't take that risk! So, leave him like that for now! He'll recover in time!" he added, before turning around and leaving the medbay room.

(…)

" "What did they tell you? Is he going to be alright?" Padme asked, as she entered the room.

Skywalker regared the love of his life with a caring look, before reaching for her hands and massaging them. His cold, metal hand still unnerving the both of them. With all the tinkering and engineering, a synth-hand was still a synth-hand.

" Well, they keep saying that, but he looks worse for wear! Like a ghost… In a way, I actually feel guilty!"

Padme pulled him into a close embrace, stroking the back of head tenderly.

" Don't say that!" she whispered soothingly.

After a minute, he reluctantly left her warm touch, turning to Hivaarr's pale, corpse like body.

" If he had not saved my mother the way he did… only denying the inevitable…!"

He felt he had to state this, as much as he was afraid to. Should he feel selfishly thankful that Nelo used the Dark Side to prolong the life of his mother for another day? Should he feel guilty instead, because he didn't let go of his attachments, as the jedi teachings go about?

He stared at his hand again. He had given his best during that fight with Dooku and it still wasn't enough. He lost a limb- a part of himself-, he could have lost more: his life, his master's life, Padme…

Was he even fit for the challenges a life in the Order brought? The last trials have proven to be more than challenging.

" It was his choice to be at your side. He has a compassionate heart and cannot stand having his close ones suffer!" his angel smiled at him. Her words had quieted his raging thoughts somewhat. " So cheer up! We still hae to plan our secret wedding! The war will drag us all along with it and we don't know when or if we'll have a another chance!" she whispered.

" You do know that we have to wait on him, remember? My mother's spirit would haunt my to death, otherwise!" he morbidely joked, a bittersweet expression plastered over his face.

Their eyes met, their unspoken words were said, feeling glinting in their irises. Their faces got closer and closer, until less than a few centimetres apart.

" So let's use that time as best as possible!" she suggested seductively, kissing him passionately.

Over the next three days, Nelo barely was conscious. As his body recovered from the stress and traumas, the Force Suppression collar acted like a dam. Ever so slowly, calculated, it allowed small, yet increasing in size, doses of Force energy to flow through his body. The masters would check upon him every four hours to see how he reacted.

Truth be told, he wanted to gut the guy who invented this accursed piece of machinery. Remembering the Code and his teachings, his vows and his own words about overcoming challenges and controlling one's emotions, he calmed down. The Dark Side won't get a hold of him, ever.

On the third day, he had gathered enough strength to properly wake up and stand straigth. A device connected to his left arm beeped, alerting the nurse of his current state.

She showed up in under a minute and ran a series of check ups on him. Thanks to the bacta injections, Force Healing and enough sleep, he was as good as new… given the previous state he was in.

The masters were notified immediately. Another ten minutes passed and Krav Erladin, Pal Taruk and Obi Wan Kenobi entered the medbay.

Asa per the masters' orders, the nurse unfastened the ridiculously large number of straps and cuffs binding the jedi padawan to the bed.

" Thank you ever so much, miss! I promise I won't chew on your furniture!" he told her on an annoyed tone, while flexing his still sore muscles. Fatigued from the lack of a healthy dose of minimal effort on his part.

She looked at him oddly, letting out a whispered curse about his parentage, before sighing and leaving the room.

" Was it really necessary?" master Erladin asked, though he stifled a laugh at the remark (as well as the curse).

Nelo stood up on his feet, not too long though. He immediately sprawled all over the floor. Mumbling some exotic curse, he gathered himself and forced his body to get reacquainted with its own weight.

" Don't worry about that!" Pal Taruk spoke, his voice ever so even. "We have prepared a series of drills and exercises to get you back in shape. We will begin in an hour. Do you have anything to add on the matter?"

A stupid question to ask, but he swallowed a nasty answer just so that he wouldn't get himself punished… again.

" Apart from what a hindrance this disruptor thingy is? Not at the moment!"

" Very well! I shall return to guide you through your exercises! Until then!" he bowed and left the compound.

Left with masters Kenobi and Erladin, Nelo sighed and started slowly, carefully pacing around the room, sometimes using a wall or a table to steady himself.

" How did this happen? Last week I was a good, respectful and respected padawan, no serious punishments and now I find myself on a leash. I'm not some dangerous animal!" he spoke with a rising voice. " But no! Because I don't want to lay down and die, while others needed me, I am suddenly a sith, a criminal that's on a freaky kind of parole, just for the show, ain't I?" he turned to the other two jedi.

His look was pained. His entire aura, however much could seep through the modified disruptor. He was disillusioned with them. That's exactly what he was thinking, namely that they had failed in his eyes as paragons of justice. If this went on. If this state of mind would not change, theny they both feared that the Order might lose Nelo Hivaarr forever. Just the thought of him abandoning them, or worse, turning to the Dark Side to exact revenge was beyond frightening. Especially after they've seen what he was capable of. Those powers, which he shouldn't have been able to wield in the first place- when turned against them, would shatter the Order.

Exchanging a knowing glance with one another, the zabrak and the older human nodded. Damage control was needed, badly.

" Have you ever wondered why Pal Taruk is behaving like that?" Obi Wan Kenobi began. At a silent shake of the padawan's head, he continued. " It is because he lost his brother, Khal Taruk, in a similar situation!"

Even though he felt no ill intent from the jedi master, Nelo was still wary.

" Continue!" he asked with a flat voice.

" It happened 13 years ago. A jedi knight himself, Khal was sent to Sleheyron to ensure the liberation of a team of Republic negociators…" Obi Wan told.

" Hutt infested planets!" Nelo quietly mumbled. They heard him, but said nothing about it.

"… Khal was a fiercely loyal jedi, serving our ideals with much dedication! But, confronted with the decadence of that place, the miserable conditions in which the slaves- many of them twi'leks, mind you!- were kept and _lived_ … and **died** … Suffice to say that when he found out that the negociators had been murdered and fed to the pet rancors, he went on a rampage, murdering all of the Hutts and the underlings he could get his hands on. Many of the slaves he freed were in his debt and he urged them to take up arms and end that unfair order of things!"

" And what happened to him?" Nelo carefully asked, after a one minute pause.

" After a month of unsuccessful attempts at stopping him, the Hutt Cartel gave an ultimatum to the Republic, threatening us with war and blocking vital hyperspace lanes. We had no choice but to intervene! Khal, however, thought that we were working with the Hutts against him and the poor souls that he was freeing and protecting. When a team of jedi went to apprehend him, he turned on them, killing them.

Eventually, Pal was sent to subdue his own brother. With the familial attachment between them, it was deemed the best approach. After a long and tiresome battle, Khal was captured, taken before the Council and stripped of his powers. Then he was kept in the Temple on Corruscant under watch.

Not able to cope with the reprimands, the regret, the fury, the pressure and the dark thoughts, he confronted the High Council, accusing them of being hypocrites, then, before anyone could so much as raise a finger, he revealed a Shoto lightsaber, plunging it into his own heart. He died on the spot.

He was the 19th jedi that the Order lost!" Obi Wan concluded the story on a sad note.

They all closed their eyes in a moment of respectful silence.

" So you mean that, by some twisted analogy, he feels responsible for me?"

The teenager padawan had been impressed by the revelation. The way he spoke, a little fearful, meant that the was going to learn from the mistake of Taruk's older brother.

" You could put it that way!" Kenobi agreed.

" And don't forget, my padawan, that all the membres of the Order are your brothers and sisters! Do not think that any of us would shy away from helping you!" Krav Erladin added, shaking his students's hand.

" Cheer up you! At the end of the week, you'll be going to Naboo for a vacation! Took little effort on senator Amidala and our part, but you are allowed to go! Actually, you and Anakin both! I think it's Padme's way of thanking you two for all you've done!" Kenobi remembered.

Nelo knew what exactly was on the senator's mind- namely a wedding, secret and small time-, but he wouldn't tell the others about that.

Still, five days of rough training would follow. Nothing is ever easy for a jedi!

 _Author's note_

 _*All characters except the OCs belong to the Star Wars franchise, any rightfully to LucasArts (HEAR THAT DINSEY?). I make no profit or such._

 _*Credits for the song go to the band SIRENIA_

 ****Dear readers, if you want to contribute to the story, leave your suggestions in the review section or send them to me via PM.****

 _Thanks for reading my fanific!_

 _May the force be with you!_


	16. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17:** _ **War echoes closer and closer.**_

 **[Song suggestion: Peter Gundry:** _ **When Darkness Spoke**_ **]**

After five days in which he was put through a steady, yet rough, regimen of training to get back in shape, Nelo Hivaarr was able to join Anakin and Padme's secret wedding.

In reality, it didn't look like an ordinary wedding. The wise bride chose a remote location on a Cliffside overlooking one of Naboo's smaller lakes, that was surrounded by ancient forests; secluded from prying eyes, the small family cabin was a perfect spot.

Gathered before the priest were the lucky pair of lovers, Nelo- as Anakin's best man-, Padme's parents and her older sister, Sola and her husband, Horas; also, Anakin's family was present, the secret journey to Naboo hard, but worth it.

At the end of the ceremony, they all swore before the Godess's Priest (and the Force itself) to keep everything a secret.

" Let those that break their vows be broken!" said the priest on a dead serious tone.

As no one said anything against it, he proclaimed them husband and wife. Afterwards, he proceeded to mark each of those present with a subtle mark of the oath on their left wrist, so as to remember their own words.

Another day full of low-profile festivities was held, before everyone sneakily parted ways with best of wishes.

Nelo, Anakin and Padme were the only ones left at the Lake Residence. The newly wed senator came to view Hivaarr as a person very dear to her; like a family member, a brother-in-law, so to say.

Ever the polite one, he gave them more than enough space and privacy. All the same, he joined the pair in many free time activities like dining, trekking, swimming. At one time, much to her horror (and amuzement), the two jedi used the Force to throw her around in a creepy sort of human water-volley, in which she was the ball!

But, alas, after the third day, their vacation came at an end. The trio boarded the Naboo Starfighter and headed to Coruscant alongside an escort of eight fighters.

 _Back on Geonosis, a few days ago…_

Inanna grinned ath the stroke of luck. One of the Hyperspace Starfighters was still functional. The secret hangar's sublevels had survived the Clone Army's bombardement and thus she had a ticket off that cursed rock called Geonosis.

Everything ready, she activated the controls. Not a second later, Count Dooku's encrypted clues to the retreat location appeared via hologram. Obviously, it wasn't Sereno, but Cato Neimoidia, another CSI-held planet, one of their Purse-Worlds, so to say.

Quickly and precisely, she outmanuveared the Republic blockade, losing the ships trailing her (also destroying four of them in the process). Next thing, aligning on a hyper-lane and activating the hyperdrive. In a blink, her getaway was clear.

Almost three days later, she reached Cato Neimoidia's main starport on a military cruiser. After a routine security check, the Dark Acolyte made her way towards the meeting room in the giant, golden skyscrapers of the Trade Federation. Her menacing black attire, coupled with her undeterred pace, posture, plus the aura of fear that she was radiating, made sure that non stood in her way. Not that it mattered, really. Ending a couple of droids or neimoidians would have been a good way for her to blow off some steam. Her raging emotions, while kept under check, could yet explode any time, if she let her guard down. And her wild side… one would deem it overly chaotic.

The recent events, bittersweet as the were: reclaiming a piece of her past, claiming the lives of clones and jedi…plus the heart of a certain, _special_ , jedi. All that and the fact that there was a war going on- that she had to obey whatever her master and her master's master commanded of her was quite the pressure.

With the sith not being notorious for peaceful manners, everyone around her kept a three meter distance. Good riddance!

" Ah, it's good to see you are well, my student!" the voice of her mentor greeted her, as she entered and dropped to a knee. " Rise, my dear and take a seat!" Count Dooku answered with a nod and pointed towards the table in the middle of the room.

Gathered around were Saato, the Dathomirian witch who thought herself to be a sith. An acrobat, an adept of the more basic, Telekinetic Force Powers, but other than a semblance of Force Grip, she couldn't hold a candle to Inanna. Surely enough, her horns, sharpened every week, her red eyes, black hair and the black sith tattoos that she painted on her face gave off that impression. Twin lightsabers or not, she belonged in a circus, rather than by master Tyrannus's side.

Still, Inanna would keep her temper in check, were it not for that obnoxious voice of the damned creature:

" What took you so long, sith'ari? Went to the Fashion Contest on Coruscant?" she asked in a mocking way.

Inanna immediately flared. She entertained the idea of Force Griping Saato over a Sarlacc Pit or simply blasting the nuisance with sith lightning. But then again, her master was watching. His top rule was this: passion to fuel your powers, but controlling it through focus and not wasting it. So instead, she replied smugly:

" Actually, while you were hiding behind your Geonosian _partners_ , I singlehandedly ended three jedi knights! This is true power and skill, not your fancy image, chuuba face!" she laughed in her rival's face, as she revealed the four lightsabers, each of them unique.

Count Dooku was pleased, as he Force Pulled the trophies into his hands and inspected them thoroughly.

" You have done well, my student! Your path towards claiming your own sith title nears its end! If you go on like this, in a few years you will have earned it!"

 _/ A few years? Pfffft! If that means that I'll be 50 by then, no thank you!/_ her mind whispered a thought.

Dooku simply smiled, as if he'd heard her. She assumed he did.

" As I was talking to your colleague here, Senr'ance Tann and Vandalor have been sent to Felucia; Assajj Ventress, the assassin, has the task of convincing a couple of neutral systems of accepting our protection and tutelage.

Saato-he turned to the other woman- four days from now, you will be departing with the Fifth Droid Fleet! I want you to encircle Bespin! Do NOT destroy the tanks or the cities, just cripple their defences if they are hostile! The Tibana Gas would serve us well in this war! Use any means necessary as long as you keep the objectives in mind!"

Saato couldn't repress a vicious smile, as she bowed her head and thanked her master for the task.

As she was leaving, she threw another proud glare at her fellow dark acolyte, even daring to show her the middle finger. Inanna simply Force Pushed the trash out of the meeting room and closed the door.

" As amusing as your conflict might be, I recommend that you stop!" Dooku reprimanded his student.

" But master, I hate her!" she puffed. Sometimes she was a child around him. And he was like a sort of grandfather figure, as well as a worthy teacher.

" Save your talents and anger for a better occasion!" he dismissed her antics with a wave of his hand, before sitting beside her and putting a hand on her shoulder. " You are truly gifted, child, my best student so far! By now, you would have mastered Force Lightning and Dark Rage, plus Force Grip which you already knew. Force Drain is also something you are familiar with, but needs working on. Amazing progress, but not enough to allow you to challenge Jedi Masters! Your lightsaber skills need much improving, your reflexes, your energy management, the unorthodox moves inbetween attacks…

So, the next three weeks, we will be working on honing your abilities."

Before she could raise the issue of being left behind while her rivals had their own missions already, he raised his right hand and the voice got tenser.

"Do not question my decision! You will have your fun later, when I'll be giving you a challenge that the other would not best!"

She raised an eyebrow at that and smirked behind her mask-like cloth, while her eyes sparkled.

" And whose life would I be ending, master?" her dark side trembled with barely contained enthusiasm at being unleashed.

" That remains to be seen!" the Count stroked his ample white beard in thought. " And it depends on wether you can impress me with your progress. No go and rest! Tomorrow we well begin at 05:00 planet time, go!"

She bowed to her master, then left the roo, heading to the luxurious house that had been assigned to her.

Saato would do well to avoid her these days. Ever since being… with and without that calming, yet infuriating jedi padawan, she was itching to vent her frustrations on someone, namely the cursed dathomirian.

Quickly scanning the spacious chambers, she made to her living room, got out of the dusty, scorched, sweaty armor and robes, discarding them in the waste disposal bin.

Devoid of all clothes, she reveled in the freedom of her nakedness for a few minutes, letting the warm air calm her skin. Walking up to the boy size mirror in the bathroom, she couldn't help but admire her own athletic, well shaped and kept, beautiful body. Shapes that would sway any man into doing her bidding if she so wished. Inanna smirked. Everytime she did so, it looked like she had the whole Universe at her feet.

No one has ever seen her naked ever since… those accursed days, which she loathed remembering. Fear, helplessness, being taught to do "enticing dances" by those core-slimes back in that Tatooine Palace.

A small shudder found its way down her spine, even though the air in the room was warm. Acting on her anger, she slammed her fist into the mirror, shattering it in a million pieces.

" I welcome the pain! I let it weave with my anger to give me strength and focus!" she chanted through gritted teeth.

With a scowl, she stepped into the shower cabin. The actual warm water shower (a luxury in most houses, which were equipped with a sonic one) was a welcome distraction, but it wasn't good enough.

 **[Play the song here, from the beginning]**

The memories she tried so hard to suppress were coming back to haunt her. The way that crime lord kept hounding her moisture farmer family for years, taking large parts of their harvest or money. The way they always had to struggle to get by. Yet even that was manageable somewhat. But the greedy slime wouldn't settle just with that. More and more, more and more, until they hadn't had what to give them. That day, her parents did the unthinkable: they actually gave her to the crime lord to be married, in order to settle all debts and keep future thugs off of them. No matter how much she cried, how much she struggled, cursed or begged, none would relent; not her family, not the thugs sent after her, no one. She was alone, abandoned. One of them hit her in the head and she lost consciousness. When she awoke, she was chained to a wall in a 5x5 humid, dark, dirty room, with little to no light and clothes that were worse than hers. She could not believe it. A week before, she had turned 13 and had dreams of a better future. Now she was the slave of a Hutt's right hand man. Who knew what might happen to her. Would she even be alive to experience the tortures? The mishandling? The ugly realities? Or would she be fed to a rancor? She could not think straight, as she let rivers of tears pour from her pained eyes. Her heart, her soul, her being was shocked, sad, disappointed, fearful, a mix of negative emotions.

Days after days, or were they nights? None could tell! There were only a couple of hours of sleep inbetween her being taken for cleaning duties, dancing lessons, language lessons… beating. Everytime she hesitated on removing a pool of someone's blood… a body, she was hit with stun batons, then chained to a metal bed for an hour and left alone in the dark. Everytime she felt embarrassment while dressing in one of the ridiculous outfits, or when dancing, she was punished by being the punching bag of the palace. The crime lord had decreed that her face should be avoided, as well as her "womanly parts". The rest could be bruised, cut without a problem.

Days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months and eventually she heard one of them mention that the "noble" was waiting on her 14th birthday to… "consummate" their marriage. She felt sick, fearful. She only had two weeks before her birthday, as the two drunken bounty hunters said. She had to act, act before it was too late.

She memorized all patterns of guard movement, all their hobbies, weaknesses, the geography of the palace, everything that could help her in her effort. She made peace with herself. It was putting all she had into one chance. If she could not escape, then at least she would not be captured and broken anymore.

At night, one of the guards went to unshackle her to let her use the bathroom. While there, she washed her face and gathered courage. As she exited, she extended her arms. However, before he could shackle them back, Inanna stuck her hands in his eyes, crushing them in anger. With a speed she never had before, she strangled him to death, while putting her hand in his mouth to stop the screaming. In a minute, it was over.

She panted heavily, she trembled and collapsed next to the body. She had done the unthinkable: she killed a man. A criminal, a thug, a lowlife, but she was just a kid.

Something in the back of her mind woke her from the shock and urged her to move forward. She couldn't afford to lose anymore time, she told herself. Using the keys of the dead thug, she escaped her cell and blended in the shadows of the walls, avoiding up to four patrols. Eventually, with patience, she reached the hall that led to the entrance, which was… unguarded?

Before she even counted to ten, the room filled with laughter, then the bounty hunters showed themselves. They were fifteen, plus the crime lord, that blasted red twi'lek man. They laughed in her face, mocking her effort. All had been a ploy, a sick game of theirs.

She would not cry, she did not cry, she just screamed. Screamed and vented her anger on them. Incredibly, a wave of lightning appeared out of nowhere and started frying out those that wanted to harm her. Each and every one of them was burned to a crisp in a couple of seconds, ashes being the only thing left of them.

Trembling, Inanna looked at her hands; they too, were burned, but only at the fingertips. Had she done this? Had she murdered them? It was what she wanted to do for a long time. Struggling to understand what was happening to her, she stole a meager quantity of provisions, water, a blaster and a knife, plus a couple of robes, before running off into the desert night. It wasn't long before she realized that she was lost, with no place to go, but at least she was free. To her luck, however, an old man seemed to be approaching her. What was even more strange was the fact that she somehow knew that she could trust him. He introduced himself as Dooku and offered her a future, one in which she would never have to be weak again.

The flashback ended and she somehow managed to find her way into her bed. As she calmed down, using the fear as fuel for focus (as she was taught), she remembered something important. Rummaging through the waste disposal bin, she opened one of her armor's compartiments. She found the Desert Raindrop Rose as she left it. It was a tough little flower.

" _Just like you!"_ a mental impersonation of Nelo seemed to add. She smiled fondly.

Inanna returned to her bed, sinking in the overly soft matress. Using the Force, she hovered the Rose above her, slowly rotating it. In the dimmed light of the room, it sparkled.

"One day you will be mine! You will not leave my side even if I have to chain you up!" she whispered to herself with her alluring voice. "No matter what it would take, no matter who I'll kill, I will find a way to turn you from that blasted Order of yours! You'll be free, free to love me, to devote yourself to me and me alone!" she proclaimed, bringing the rose into her open palms, the kissing it.

Plans and desires set in mind, she drifted to sleep, one without dreams or memories, thankfully.

 **Read, enjoy, follow and review, my fellow Star Wars fans!**

 **Any suggestions you make will help.**

 **See you next time!**


	17. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18:** _ **Information Leakage**_

Almost two months of tiresome, daily, constant training. Add to that an accursed Force Suppresion Collar and life may seem a bit…nerving.

He was confined to the Jedi Temple, yet this was kept secret from the other jedi. Sometimes, as a form of reward for exemplary behavior, he was allowed to go and join his master's clone company and run battle simulations with them. It certainly got his mind off of things and chased boredom away.

60% cutoff from the Force, he turned to blasters, rifles, grenades and EMPs to clear the enemy lines and maximize his efforts. His current favourite assault move focused on keeping a spearhead formation with clones using energy shields for protection, allthewhile returning fire. The key step in that strategy was him using a Force Protect to take the most of damage. Only problem was that he didn't have enough energy, or, rather, that he wasn't allowed to use anything over a certain amount. Being on probation (because that was it)…sucked. As time went by, they would reduce the restriction, yet still keeping the collar, supposedly inhibiting dark side hunger and manifestation.

But now they had to finish the drill. With a wave of his hand, he grouped them behind him. The tightly packed street worked to their advantage, providing cover for their sides.

Nelo deflected volley after volley back at the droids, while his soldiers took down the rest in an orderly, precise fashion. The commander went on to run and cleave the middle of the lines, then the men in the front widened the gap, while the rest cleared the two, now separated, sides. It was risky. One could easily get encircled or be overwhelmed, but the rearguard had been equipped with miniguns to prevent that.

Erladin watched from above, Pal Taruk and Kenobi flanking him. No doubt, the performance of the padawan, even with a handicap, was impressive. The test showed that he was good battlefield material, even though the tendency to take most of the damage was still there. Nelo wasn't masochist or somesuch, but his empathy and ambition were making it look that way. Still, it was better than last time, no foolish bravery, not so much arrogance.

Turning their heads back to the screen, the three jedi caught a glimpse of Nelo using the Force to direct a grenade into a tank's gun barrel, effectively wiping out the vehicle and the droids around it.

Creative indeed!

Eventually, Nelo and his troops made it to the finish line with 11% casualties of all natures. Given the difficulty, it was…next to excellent. Even so, no computer can ever predict the course of a battle, or all the variables.

" Grandmaster Yoda, we have a report for you!" Pal Taruk spoke into the holographic transmitter.

The diminutive green, wise alien was in the Council Meeting Room with Kit Fisto, Shaak Ti, Mace Windu and Luminara Unduli. The five masters replayed the battle in fast-forward, taking notice of the improvements in the padawan's overall behavior. Nearly all of them thought that the collar had been a challenge in itself, an ultimately good one. And he pulled through…so far. Yet they decided to not take it off. His progress should not be halted, the weight literally hanging around his neck would stay there, but would be reduced. He was to be allowed to use up to 50% of his power reserves. Master Windu immediately requested Pal Taruk to recalibrate the device.

The Council also called for the padawan in question to be brought before them.

Back in the simulator chamber, Hivaarr heard the call on his wrist communicator.

" It seems that the higher-ups'll want to congrat' you, sir!" Mark, their crew's best sniper, told him.

" Yep! Time to face the gallows…again!" he sighed at the thought, but still shook the trooper's hand confidently.

Craig and two others joined them to encourage their commander and accompanied him to the exit. He eventually left them and made his way to the Council room.

When in front of the five masters, Nelo held his chin up, his back straight, no weakness shown, whatsoever. No sign of deference. After two months of what seemed like prison in the Temple, he had had enough. He deserved some recognition; he felt he was ready to take part in full mission again.

" Padawan Hivaarr, we have decided to allow you to take part in active jedi duty!" Kit Fisto began.

" But for starters, it won't be frontline ones. Diplomatic missions and a few law enforcing ones, you will join!" Grandmaster Yoda added.

" Indeed! There will be at least one jedi knight or master alongside you everytime, usually Krav Erladin or Pal Taruk!" Ki Adi Mundi continued.

" As you progress, you will be allowed to enter battles alongside fellow jedi generals and commanders. Remember to uphold our values wherever your path takes you!" Luminara pointed out, her face compassionate, but cold and logical enough to assess his special case.

The last of them, Mace Windu, ended the audience:

" This trial of yours hasn't ended, padawan! Always remember the Code, act on it, do not let attachments or temptations cloud your supposedly clear mind! You are young, but that is no excuse, for we were young too but through meditation and devotion to the Order and its Code, we reached this rank!

Do not forget that even the brightest of stars can prove to be a falling one! Learn patience, modesty, _restraint!"_

And to all of them, he added: " Meeting adjourned!"

Nelo bowed with respect and left the chambers. He used all of his mental power just to suppress his basic emotions of strangling the bald idiot.

After the evening meal, he went to sleep. Again, his dreams were plagued by visions of the droid general. Grievous was his name. Masters Adi Mundi, Shaak Ti and Aayla Secura nearly died facing him, as did four fellow jedi and countless clones during that fateful mission in the Outer Rim. Master Erladin wouldn't stand a chance against him in one on one. Also, not knowing when, how or where the battle might take place, it unnerved him even more.

He had spoken with his master about it, but the both of them couldn't do more than train themselves for when that day might come. Of course, they haven't spoken about his other dreams, the one with…her.

The Dark Acolyte Inanna, servent of Dooku, agent of the Separatists, sith in training and his love. In each one of his dreams, he held her in his arms, his eyes lost while gazing upon her. In each dream, his words seemed to be calming the fiery chaos that was her soul. And everytime they kissed, the Universe, the Force itself, the both of them, seemed complete. Each time, however, the dream did not go beyond that point and he'd wake up.

He had to meet her again, yet keep their secret safe.

Just how might he do that?

He was under close watch. His career as a jedi was at a critical point. If he kept this pace, if he proved himself worthy in this civil war, they might let him take the trials; even knight him, like the knighted Anakin.

If they were to find out that he was in love with a sith lady, things would turn sour with the Order. And his order was his life. His parents, which he visited once again at the end of last month, were proud of him and his status. His siblings were luckily Force Blind- a relief. Would they be so proud if they found out about his affair? Most certainly not!

In the morning, he got a message from Krav Erladin and a warning too.

The two of them were tasked with meeting with a contact on Corellia that was holding out on some valuable info. The Duros, a deserter from the Separatist Outer Rim DefCorps, asked for amnesty, jedi guards and 30000 credits for his input. While the sum wasn't too much or too little, the Council was wary. The transmission was sent only to the Temple, via one of their cantina contacts that Obi Wan knew very well, along with a mention not to inform the Senate or anyone outside of the Order. Strange and dangerous, as master Erladin pointed out. Nelo also knew that such high caliber weapons like deserters wouldn't escape the hand of the Separatists for long, especially Dooku's. Perhaps the whole thing was a ploy to capture or kill jedi. If all of this was true, the war could be shortened, lives would be spared. But if it was a trap… then they would have to deal with it as they see fit.

So, either way, it was Corellia!

" Coronet, here I come!" he spoke aloud, ready to kick some ass.

The next day, his master woke him up at an early hour to run a last series of drills, before handing him his fake papers, credits and his weapons. The duo then boarded a third class shuttle to Corellia, which had more than 300 people on board. Men, women, children, even old people, of all species, were packed in the crowded passenger ship. One may ask himself how safe this was.

Krav Erladin was using some sort of collective mind trick, _mind dispertion_ , as master Yoda called it. Its role was to make them look uninteresting, just like the others around them. It worked- none batted an eyelash at them.

The journey was uneventful; two boring days in which they barely spoke to anyone or each other.

When they actually touched down on Coronet, the capital city, and went to the customs office, they sighed in relief. Papers were ok and now they just had to find their VIP.

" Master, do we have information on how he is dressed or where he is?" Nelo asked, while keeping a vigilent eye on the crowds of people passing through around them.

After a minute of silence, his master answered on a hushed tone.

" We must not speak publicly! Even here, on a Republic Core World, our enemies have their eyes and ears! Come, let us lose ourselves in the crowds!"

After changing their clothes for something more local-Nelo keeping his armor underneath them, for safety reasons-, they scoured cantina after cantina, listening in on whatever the spacers were babbling about. Nothing serious, save for the fact that they mentioned a rumor- a very strange one.

An unknown jedi killed some thugs at one of the more shady brothels in Blue Sector. If it weren't for the fact that a red lightsaber was mentioned, Nelo would have passed it for an overzealous knight of the Order.

Erladin cast him a glance and motioned his padawan to follow him to a more secluded corner of the establishment.

" I've heard there's a dark jedi here, master!"

" One of Dooku's agents, no doubt!" Erladin studied the mission objectives again. " This complicates things… and eases our work somewhat." He added as an afterthought.

" What do you mean?" Nelo asked, curiously.

" What I mean, Nelo, is that we need to split up! You investigate this rumour, while I try to meet up with the contact at his three possible locations that I narrowed down. Hopefully, I won't be too far if you need any help. Also, if possible, do not engage them. If not, then be careful!"

As he said these words, his master left. Hivaarr entered the cantina at the far end of the street, following a faint trace of the Dark Side that he had detected. It felt awfully familiar, but different at the same time.

He seated himself at one of the Pazaak tables. Not too late after that, he had begun winning hand after hand, having used subtle mind tricks for help. The fact that he walked away with 450 credits was just one of the perks; his real goal was drawing out the enemy.

And, how ironic, that it had to be her.

Well, not just her, but also another figure, hidden by her cloak- a fellow acolyte, he presumed.

" Welcome, friends! To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked with a hint of irony, as he offered them a seat in front of him at the table.

The second figure snorted in disdain, while Inanna's eyes sparkled in recognition.

" You may not see it, padawan, but you are surrounded by our troops!" the cloaked figure broke the silence, then pulled back her hood to reveal her face.

" So no funny movements or you'll be killed on the spot!"

Nelo rolled his eyes in all directions. Indeed, the other guests were a little too interested in them and their conversation. Blasters and rifles that he hadn't seen before were suddenly trained on him.

" But that need not happen, dear padawan!" Inanna added half-mockingly. " If you'd be so nice as to join us, your master will be left alive and so will you!"

That struck a deep nerve in him. So all of this was some elaborate trap designed to draw him out so that they- or was it she?- could capture and convert him. Only question was, how did they know that he would be the one sent, of all the jedi that might have been available?

" Shocking, isn't it?" Inanna pressed, interrupting his thoughts, her golden eyes betrayed a need for him, just him. But no, not like this. He won't answer the siren's call by surrendering!

He would fight both of them if needed. But first, he somehow had to warn his master.

As subtle as possible, he used Force Push to activate a button hidden inside his modified helmet, by disguising it as an offhand gesture.

" And why would I do that? Why would I subject myself to torture, interrogations and what not?" he asked with a bored voice, while studying his gloves with newfound interest.

Inanna knew that he was teasing her in a way, but also Saato's presence didn't allow for a more…personal dialogue between her and Nelo.

" For power, for glory! For passion, for freedom!" Dooku's favorite assassin preached with true belief. But, alas, her mind knew what her beloved would say.

" Neeeeh! Got a bit of each already, to be honest!" Nelo grinned at them. " Now if you two fine ladies are done trying to convert me, I'll be on my way! Have a nice day!" he made a show of getting up and heading towards the exit.

Inanna would have none of it. She slammed the doors shut with the Force, while the mercs powered up their laser rifles and blasters.

" Really? There's an age old rule that jedi can't be killed by blasters! You kids never learn!" he mocked them, his back at them.

One of the mercs spat at him, before taking hold of a second pistol and pointing both his weapons at Nelo; he wasn't the only one to do so.

" Ssssshhhsssslslsl… TRY ME!" the trandoshian hissed and said smugly.

" Never say I didn't warn y'all!" was all that the padawan said, before throwing himself at the floor and sending a Force Wave around him.

All the cantina were toppled over by the sudden energy discharge. Before Inanna or Saato could attack him, he dropped two smoke grenades and started slashing through the still dizzy mercs. He was headed for the exit. Even he knew when to retreat to a better position until the odds were even.

The fact that there were two dark acolytes after him uneased him. One of them, even Inanna, he could handle. Two… he had a feeling he didn't want to find out how he'd fare.

The smoke prevented the mercs from pinpointing him. So, he extinguished his saber and used his DL-44 to neutralize the threats. The Force allowed him to avoid the laser shots, while helping him take aim.

Six more outlaws died, three fell down, too wounded to fight.

Their ranks were shattered. Question was, where had the two siths gone to?

He turned to the door, went for the button, only to touch a heavy robe…

" Damn!" he thought before instantly jumping away.

A second later, three red lightsabers came to life and a laugh could be heard.

" No escape for you! Hahahahaha!" Inanna bellowed, as she launched herself in a wild attack against him.

Nelo ducked under the swipe, lunged forward, fell to the right and Force kicked the dark acolyte away. Not a second later, the other one entered the fray.

" Little boy, I will enjoy drinking your blood from your skull!" the dathomirian- he could see her clearly now- licked her lips and pinned him with her stare. Another flurry of swipes followed.

" Who's to say I'm easy prey?" Nelo laughed and entered into a defensive Shien.

For the better half of the hour, he only defended himself, gaging his oponent's skill and power. Inanna, to his curiosity, was simply watching the whole display. He also had the nagging impression that his master was getting close, but would not intervene.

And he was right.

Krav Erladin felt a stir in the Force even before Nelo sent him the message. He was examining the dead Duros's body for evidence, when his wrist communicator beeped four times; it revealed a bomb warning. He Force Sped out of the building, just in time to avoid being blown to pieces and engulfed in flames. The evidence, if there was any left, was destroyed.

He quickly made his way to the place he felt his padawan was at. Not too strangely, the door was closed shut.

Making use of their bond and the proximity, he could feel that Nelo was handling everything for now. Relieved to a degree, he made a Force Jump, reaching one of the larger vents and silently removing it. After crawling through the shaft, he reached a good vantage point over the battle in the main mess hall.

Inanna too, sensed that another jedi was getting closer. She contemplated intercepting him, but watching Saato getting her ass kicked by Nelo was too gratifying. So, she took a seat at one of the remote tables and watched on.

" _So, she thinks this is a show?! BITCH! I'll have her head on a pike after I finish with this stupid kid!"_ Saato cursed in her mind, as she grabbed that anger and molded it into raw power.

Like a drug, the Dark Side flowed in her body, being trapped there for immediate use. Her attacks became faster and faster, wilder and wilder and, dareshesay it, deadlier.

Nelo had been carefully rationing his energy. If this was some test on his master's part, he would pass with flying colors. His opponent was getting annoyed and a tad bit desperate to kill him. Good, that way she'll burn out faster, leaving him more openings to exploit.

Ten more minutes passed and she made a major mistake. She engaged him in a saberlock. One of her lightsabers was held too lightly. He applied more pressure in that direction, quickly changing the angle and forcing her to drop the weapon, cursing all the way.

But the dark acolyte had a few surprises up her sleeve. She actually faked that move, fell back a few meters and, with a mere gesture, Force Pulled the fallen weapon, igniting it in midair and made to stab Nelo through the heart.

Hivaarr felt a warning in the Force. Listening to it, he coated his body in a layer of Force Protection. Good riddance, for the blow nearly shattered it.

Dumbfounded, Saato fell back, not comprehending what had taken place.

Behind them, Inanna grinned, pleased at how her padawan taught that wretch a lesson.

Above them, Krav Erladin smiled proudly. He decided to continue watching and waiting.

Nelo himself didn't wait. He switched to Ataru, hammering Saato's weakened defence. Her most obvious weakness seemed to lie in her feet being too wide apart and not firmly planted in the ground. When she made a backflip, he jumped after her, ducked under her slash, swooped her legs from under her with a kick and cleanly cut her arm off right under the shoulder.

The moment her right arm was cut, the Dathomirian let out a shrieking cry. She gathered up all her pain, anger, resentment at both the padawan and that _bitch_ , Inanna, that stood there doing nothing… _ **smiling!**_ With one last gesture, she let out an incredibly strong wave of Force Push, mingled with lightning.

The strike was fast and powerful, too much even for him, especially with that collar inhibiting his abilities. He extended both his hands and concentrated on absorbing and/or deflecting the energy.

The shock sent him straight into the cantina wall, pain engulfing him. He opened his eyes to see the sith had fainted.

Taking a deep breath, he gathered himself up, ignoring the flaring pain, and activated his golden lightsaber. He was taking this sith in for interrogation, wether she wanted to or not.

" _But wait, she can't refuse, ey?"_ he mentally joked at the thought.

Inanna, however, suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking his path and activating her own red lightsaber.

" My _**dear**_ padawan, I'm afraid that I cannot let you kill or arrest the wench!" she made a tsk-tsk, slightly teasing noise. " As much as it excited me to see her suffer…" she almost purred that last word. "… my master needs her alive! A dance, jedi?"

" Why not, sith?" he responded with faked malice.

Inanna lunged forward, her red lightsaber slashing dangerously close to his neck. Nelo bent his back and his knees, avoiding the nightmare. Grabbing the hilt with both his hands, he counterattacked. The Soresu that his master had insisted he blend with his Shien allowed him to negate her Makashi for once. At least it was better than the last time.

The dark acolyte bowed, impressed.

" Padawan, you have improved!" she nodded. " But so have I!"

It was her turn to impress. Every slash, every swipe, kick, Push was more powerful than the other. Her eyes flashed an even brighter yellow, her blue veins manifesting on her face. The Dark Side was taking hold of her; strongly.

" That means… oh no!" his eyes went wide.

" Oh, yes! Dark Rage, the improved version!" she laughed, then launched herself in a whirlwind of strikes.

Nelo had to use all his energy on Force Speed to keep out of her reach and to avoid being sliced to pieces. She was being dead serious this time. They jumped around the room, over the tables; the walls were getting cut down and the ceiling looked as if it was shaked by an earthquake.

Krav Erladin knew he had to intervene. Lighting his green saber, he jumped into the fray, kicking an unsuspecting Inanna away from Nelo.

" Before you say that I shouldn't interrupt you, let's win this fight!" he cast a sideways glance at his padawan, who just raised his shoulders and answered:

" Never said anything, master!"

Their odds certainly improved after the two jedi stood up together against the Dark Acolyte. No matter how skillful one might be, Dark Rage uses his or her life force, sending he or she into a frenzy, a berzerker state. If it were to suddenly stop, the couple of minutes of weakness could prove fatal.

Nelo and Erladin Force Pushed her at the same time, causing her to stop her deadly strike yet again. The padawan quickly made his way to Saato's unconscious body, while his master held the _evil princess_ at bay. Hivaarr managed to relieve the acolyte of what looked like data chips, a coule of thousand credits and a transmitter.

Inanna saw him trying to take Saato away. Again, for all the hate that she harbored for that witch, she knew her master would punish her if the jedi captured her and interrogated the fallen idiot.

A short sigh later, she channeled her energy into an improved Force Speed. Much quicker than the others could react, she pushed them away, grabbed the wench by the collar and made a hasty retreat. Count Dooku will have an interesting report on his table. Not to mention some complications.

She was too far away for Erladin or Nelo to give chase. The two jedi gathered their belongings, then went to warn the corellian autoritites of Separatist intruders.

The briefing took no less than two hours, but it was finally over. Beyond tired, the duo embarked on a special, much faster, transport ship headed for Coruscant.

" You do know that flirting with a sith is no joke, yes?" Erladin looked him in the eyes across the table they were seated at. " You know her?"

" You could say so. And that wasn't flirting! She's that sith figure that captured me back on Geonosis. 'has a knack of annoyingly teasing her opponents, toying with them like a Katarn with its prey." He replied nonchalantly.

His master laughed and seemed to buy the ruse, for he changed the subject.

" You did good back there, defeating the other sith! It's too bad we couldn't bring her for interrogation. They killed our contact and taken the intel. At least we would have had something!" his master sighed and rubbed his eyes.

" Indeed, it would have, master!" Nelo admitted, but then he reached into one of his armor's pockets and revealed the data chips that he stole from Saato during the commotion.

" What are those?" asked a curious Erladin as he took the three chips and inserted them one by one in his personal datapad.

The screen lit up, revealing a Separatist plan to attack, cut off and occupy Christophsis. The planet had plenty of ressources, not to mention connections to many important hyperspace routes.

The second data chip provided them with maps, some codes, orders of battle and the date… they had five days left!

The third data chip was too well coded to be cracked by the datapad. They needed a computer slicer… a good one.

" Nelo, this is outstanding, congratulations!" he smiled at his padawan, before his expression turned sour in the blink of an eye. " Wee have to inform the Council and the Senate as soon as possible!"


	18. Chapter 19

_**Chapter 19: Foiled invasion.**_

 **[Song suggestion: Enter Shikari- Destabilise]**

Measures were taken in record time to counteract the enemy menace.

Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and Master Obi Wan Kenobi were dispatched from their monitoring of the Alderaanian System along with the 501st and elements of the 212th divisions to reinforce the pressured planet. 15 jedi cruisers were summoned for this endeavor, along with countless smaller ships and auxiliary fighter-cargo ships.

The plans that padawan Hivaarr recovered indicated a fleet of at least 30 Separatist heavy cruisers heading for Christophsis. Their aim was to blockade the planet, while an advance force- that was already underway when the Republic got the info- was pressuring senator Organa's defenders and relief mission.

Erladin and his padawan were in turn dispatched with their own battalion to a neighboring system to cover Anakin and Kenobi's flanks. The 321th clone division, also called the _**Juggernaut Company**_ , wsa fabled for its high efficiency and almost incredibly low casualties. However, that was counterbalanced by the fact that their numbers were fewer: 7000, as opposed to the 501st or the 212th, that had about 10000 clones all the time.

Nelo had been beside his master, monitoring the vastness of the space before them. From what little news the had received, Anakin and Obi Wan skillfully broke through the much larger than anticipated enemy blockade, taking out the notorious Admiral Trench as well. He was glad that the alien spider bit the stardust! That should ease things up overall.

Erladin turned to him and ordered him to give an inspection of the flyers and pilots, as the Force had whispered of a possible battle ahead.

Bowing his head respectfully, Nelo left for the hangars. As the other soldiers saw him approach, they welcomed him with mocking military salutes, informal pats on the shoulders and hand shakes. One even threw a helmet at him, which he caught and sent back with enough force to make the clone fall of his X-Wing.

" How are those warbirds doing, men?" he asked with an authoritarian voice.

They straightened up right away.

" 90% of them are ready for anything. The others are being checked for malfunctions, fuel leakage or are being resupplied!" Craig, the commander, answered for all of them.

Nelo nodded in thanks and went to his own figher. It was a customized X-Wing, with six laser guns, plus another dual rear gun. A flying fortress in its own. The size was its only downside, for it forced him to be extra careful during space battles, because turbo-lasers could easily slice one of the four wings off and send him careening into another craft or debris field. That's one of the reasons he installed those double layered energy shields. Rare to come by, this new model, but with his hidden stack of credits it was… affordable.

Seeing as most was in order, he gave the report to his master, then returned to his quarters, where he meditated to center his body and mind. He'd most likely need it for whatever was to come.

Hivaarr was awakened from his state of trance a good three hours later by the alarm klaxons.

" _Attention all stations! Separatist relief fleet detected: four cruisers and a lot of vulture droids to go with them! Fighters, prepare yourselves!"_ Krav Erladin's voice shouted in all the vessel's speakers.

Nelo threw the rest of his armor on himself, gathered his lightsaber and ran to the hangars. Throughout the commotion, he spotted master Erladin giving out some specific orders. He himself was stopped for the quick briefing.

"Nelo, our batteries have cut through the worst of the droid waves, but you need to get out thee and clear the stragglers if we are to have any chance to counterattack. Our own cruisers will meet the enemy ones after that. GO!"

He didn't need to be told twice!

In a blurr, he ran to his X-Wing, strapping himself in and ran a diagnostics check. All was good to go.

Other ships were already exiting the hangar and entering the hellish storm outside. Hivaarr joined them shortly.

"Blindbird, Topnotch, Shark!" he called out his flight lieutenants. "Gather up!"

" _Blindbird here! I've got 24 X-Wings; we're right behind you, sir!"_

" _Topnotch here! My W-birds are up and ready. 15 in number, just tell us where to go!"_

After a long minute, Shark answered as well.

"… _pinned down by…vultures… need help here!"_

Nelo turned his squadron around leading them to the back of their capital ship, where Shark's men were getting pummeled. Three of his ships were already blown to scrap, but so were a damn higher number of droids.

" Attack position, close the gap, weapons firing at my signal…now!"

An hour later, Nelo and his fighters had cleared enough of the enemy waves to allow their three Venator-Class cruisers to advance towards the Separatist Warships that awaited them.

Krav Erladin ordered his ships to begin bombarding the weakest of the cruisers- the one to the far left. Soon after its shields started failing, paving the way for a small squadron of bombers to destroy its bridge and engines.

"Nelo, I want you and your ten best fighters to guard these bombers!"

"Roger that, master! I'm underway!" Hivaarr confirmed, as he took out three more droids. He spoke into the onboard commlink: "Topnotch, you up for a strafing round?"

"Totally, sir!" answered the eager pilot.

"Then get us another 4 W-Wings and 4 X-Wings. The rest'll stay with the cruisers!"

" Yes, sir, right away!"

The proton bombs practically turned the enemy dreadnought into a big fireworks show. His master was now targeting the cruiser in the centre, while drawing most of the fire. They had an open path to their target, if they were crazy enough to risk it. And they were!

Half an hour later, the other cruiser on the left was dead in space, ripe for bombardment, courtesy of his squad. He gave the tip to his master right away.

" Sir, commander Hivaarr just red painted that ship!" one of the bridge officers shouted.

" That boy sure has initiative!" the zabrak jedi shook his head and smiled. "Alright then, turn all batteries on that target. Just watch out for any friendly fire!"

It took another two hours to finally repeal the attack. Only a single, damaged enemy cruiser had managed to hastily retreat. The battlefield was filled with debris of all shapes and sizes and colors. Clone bodies as well, forever frozen in the nothingness of the cold space.

Hivaarr and his squadron returned. Many of their ships were in bad shape. Some were even lucky to have made it back in their condition!

Craig did a damage report. It didn't look good, according to their reputation: 9 fighters lost, plus one auxiliary ship. But they took pride in the fact that they only lost them due to being horribly overwhelmed at times, even 8 on 1.

Well, this ought to give the other battalions a challenge to surpass.

 _Meanwhile…_

" Nelo, you and Craig get to the bridge, now!" Erladin spoke via comm link. It seemed rather urgent.

The two exchanged a "not me" glance, before breaking into a run. Once they reached the bridge, they were greeted by the zabrak, who activated the holo-table, repeating Anakin and Obi Wan's plea for help. Since they were pretty much close to them in this part of the sector, they could reach Christophsis in a shorter time than anyone else.

"… only catch is that we need to guard our flanks. We can't leave this hyperspace lane unguarded!" Erladin concluded the report.

"Then send me with one cruiser and our best men, master! It will be enough to help the others. I can also lead our ground troops to reinforce Anakin and master Kenobi's position in the main city!" Nelo almost begged for a piece of the action.

Erladin crossed his arms and shook his head, sighing as he gave that proposal a thought. It would grant him a large degree of autonomy never before seen ever since Geonosis. The solo missions he had sent Hivaarr on until now were mostly undercover or peaceful…to a point, but not outright warzones. But forming an attachment such as this overprotectiveness was dangerous in itself. Still, one of them had to stay here and it's not as if there weren't two other jedi on that planet…

"As much as I'd like to join you, I can't, but you will go! What I say is that you'd have to leave vice-admiral Steffanno in charge of the ship and space battle above you. When you reach the battlefield, follow master Kenobi's advice! Now, off you go you two!" the jedi knight ordered the sternly Craig and the best clones of their battalion to leave for their designated cruiser. Hivaarr joined them shortly.

In less than half an hour, the cruiser went into hyperspace.

Nelo was a bit anxious, to say the least. He hadn't fought great battles since Geonosis, so he only hoped that he was still in good shape- with that damned collar still around his neck.

 _About two hours later…_

This ship exited hyperspace and the turbo-lasers started firing almost immediately. Their arrival was well timed, for they managed to box in one of the enemy dreadnoughts, shattering it in minutes. It stood no chance.

"Alright, commander Hivaarr, you have your breakthrough! Get to your gunships!" Vice-Admiral Steffanno spoke over an open channel.

"Got that, brothers? Juggernaut Company'll smash those clankers to pieces!" Nelo shouted, cheers of optimism rocking the vessel, as the clones were loading up their weapons: blasters, grenades, shields, ammo, rockets. Then came four AT-TE combat tanks and a few laser machine guns. Hopefully, all will reach the surface unscathed.

As he boarded his own craft, Admiral Wullf Yularen asked him to take in another gunship filled with relief supplies. He accepted it without question and asked Shark to redeploy his fighters accordingly.

The descent was uneventful, save for the final part.

As he glanced down, he saw the charred remains of downed skyscrapers, highways, buildings of all shapes and sizes, reduced to half their size or to mere rubble. Then came the leftovers of countless battles, of countless origin. He tried not to dwell on the dead bodies of clones and other local militias that littered the ground.

Suddenly, their ships rocked. Flak was getting stronger, the closer they got to the battlefield. He could actually see the Republic's Artillery blasting the Separatist tanks to pieces.

A beep on his communicator attracted his attention.

" Shark, what is it?"

" Sir, Vulture droids are inbound; not to talk of the annoying flak! We'll get them off your tail but you have to land asap!"

As if on cue with that, one of the tank transports got hit and its cargo was about to fall off the hinges.

" Might as well drop it on those shroom droids!" Nelo shouted to the pilots over the comm link.

"…Good idea sir!"came the reply, as the transport broke formation, accelerated until it reached the main droid group, then leaned forward and dropped the _payload._

Moments later, one giant mushroom mech, along with two neighboring tanks and a lot of clankers were turned to scrap. And the fact that the highway was blocked now was a plus for the defenders.

" That's some great aiming! Now get back here; we've still got to land!" Hivaarr remarked as he held on tight.

Anakin and Obi Wan were holding out pretty well, despite the fact that all their heavy gear had been obviously destroyed. With only their field cannons and clone troopers, they started repelling this enemy wave as well. Commendable!

"Shark! We 'clear to land?"

"Yeees sir! Do it now, while you still can!" the fighter captain answered as he shot another enemy flyer down.

The engines roared through the crystal clear skies, deafening the sounds of the battle below… and the cheers of the clone defenders as well. The three AT-TE tanks were deployed next to the cannon, while he and the rest of his men landed behind one of the downed skyscrapers, where the makeshift command centre lay. He was met with the sight of a relieved Kenobi and a positively beaming Anakin.

" Nelo, lil' brother, it's so damn good to see you!" the jedi knight shook the clasped the hand of the padawan.

" Likewise, Anakin!" he gave him a brief bro hug. He then bowed to master Kenobi, to whom he said: " Master says I need to answer to you… at least for now!"

" Well, your help is much appreciated, Nelo!" Kenobi admitted, as he gave the fresh troops a look over.

" Oh, I almost forgot! The Admiral sent you this ship. Top importance, he said!" Nelo led them to the red marked transport.

The loading ramp descended and there lay 13/14 year old togruta girl, all smiling and proud. This surprise startled them all.

" A youngling?!" Master Kenobi exclaimed.

"…aaaand… who are you supposed to be?" Anakin asked increduosly, as if this was some kind of bad joke. He was actually stifling a laughter at Obi Wan for taking a kid for a padawan(ironically). Nelo, too, covered his mouth with his right hand, the other hugging his stomach.

Unfazed, appearently, the youngling answered:

" I'm Ahsoka…master Yoda sent me. There's an emergency and you've both been recalled to the Jedi Temple!"

" I don't know if you've noticed, but we're in a bit of an emergency right here!" an annoyed Anakin interrupted her tirade.

" Yes, our communications have been a bit…unreliable, but we've been calling for help!" Obi Wan added.

" Master Yoda hadn't heard from you, so he sent me to deliver the message!" Ahsoka explained, feeling a bit lost in the middle of a brutal storm that was going hit their position at any time. War… she was so excited to join it, to do good, but it looked so…savage, unfair, even now…

" Great! They don't even know we're in trouble here! Damn that Slick and his betrayal! How could he sabotage our whole heavy gear? This just gets better and better!" Anakin threw his hands in the air and exhaled nervously.

The betrayal of the clone sergeant Slick was one that hit them very hard. Thanks to his traitorous intel, the Separatists avoided the Twin Tower trap that he and Obi Wan set up. He lost many good soldiers there. And then, as they were battling the assassin, Assajj Ventress, Slick attempted to kill Rex and Cody and when he failed to do that, he destroyed nearly all tanks, ships and heavy gear, save for one gunship and the field cannons.

" Actually, brother, they kinda' do!" Nelo interrupted his cursing and Kenobi's worries. " Me and my master heard your call and came to help as much as we were able to. We also sent the Temple a transmission!"

The two jedi generals immediately brightened up at the news. So they weren't left to fend off by themselves after all.

"…you could also relay a signal through the cruisers still in orbit!" Ahsoka timidly proposed.

They did that. Ten minutes later, a shaking hologram of master Yoda appeared.

" Aaaah, master Kenobi, glad that Ahsoka found you, I am! And padawan Hivaarr too!"

" Master Yoda, we are trapped here! We are still outnumbered, even with Nelo's support. What ships we have left aren't enough to get us out! The skies are contested and the space above too; it's not safe! We are in no position to go anywhere or do anything!" Kenobi grimly presented their dire situation.

The image started shaking and fazing out.

" Send reinforcements…you…we will…!" were the grandmaster's last words as the transmission ended abruptly.

" Master Yoda… MASTER YODA!"

Seconds later, Admiral Yularen and Vice-Admiral Steffanno spoke to their respective commanders.

" More enemy cruisers have just arrived! We have to escape, regroup and attack again!" Yularen said, to which Steffanno nodded and told Nelo:

" I'll return to general Erladin and see if I can at least get one more cruiser to help us. Sit tight!"

" Thanks, sir! We'll manage somehow!"

" I'm sure you will, Nelo! Your master has faith in you and frankly, so do I!" smiled the Vice-Admiral before signing off.

Anakin stepped back from the table and let out another unenthusiastic sigh. The Day couldn't get any better, he thought.

" Now we'll have to hold out a little longer! How cute!" he exclaimed.

Ahsoka felt ignored- out of place at that moment- even Nelo could see that without much effort. The girl was practically dropped here without knowing who, what, where. He decided to leave the kid alone. At least it wasn't his responsibility.

After another minute of Anakin cursing their rotten luck, Obi Wan turned his gaze to the youngling and approached her, hands clasped behind his back.

" My apologies, young one, it's time for a proper introduction!"

" I'm the new padawan learner, I'm Ahsoka Tano!" she bowed respectfully.

He returned the gesture and smiled:

" I am Obi Wan Kenobi, your new master!"

She didn't look too eager, that much Nelo could see. But what she said next baffled him.

" I am at your service…, master Kenobi, but I'm afraid I've been actually assigned to master Skywalker!" she pointed at Anakin.

" WHAT?! No-no-no-no! There must be some mistake!" he pointed at Kenobi. " He's the one that wanted the padawan, not me!"

" _Oh, this is too good to be true!"_

Hivaarr was desperately covering his mouth with both his hands.

The girl folded her arms over her chest and said with unwavering belief:

" No! Master Yoda was very specific!" and she paused to quote, corrections included: " I'm assigned to Anakin Skywalker and he is to supervise my jedi training!" she then bowed her head a little and smiled triumphantly.

" Pfffhhfffhh! Ha-ha-ha-ha-haha!" Nelo bursted into laughter at the comedy that was unfolding itself. " Oh, brother! Ha-ha-ha! And I thought I've seen strange stuff! This surely beats em all!"

A killer, cold hearted glare from Skywalker stopped him on the spot. He didn't want to anger his brother-by-oath.

Obi Wan wisely stepped in between all three conflicting sides, calming the spirits.

" We'll sort this out later! It won't be long before those droids figure out a way around our cannons!"

" I'll check on Rex and the cl…!" Anakin began his answer, but was stopped by two projectiles that shattered the pile of debris behind him. His cheek was cut by the shrapnel and a small rivulet of blood was pouring down his face.

" Again already?" he complained, then wiped the mess off.

" Don't worry, _**master Skywalker**_ , I'll take care of this!" Nelo offered.

Ahsoka turned to the third person, the other jedi that stood there with them. He looked nice, beautiful even, especially with those purple eyes and the casual expression that betrayed his confidence. No, she took that back. He was overconfident, disrespectful to his superiors and a tad bit annoying.

" Aaaand, who are you to brag about your skills, mister?" she jabbed a finger in his chest.

Actually surprised for a few seconds, he retorted on an even more annoying tone.

" I am Nelo Hivaarr, padawan to jedi knight Krav Erladin and current commander of the Juggernaut Company!" he smirked before casually pushing her back with the Force.

Ahsoka had heard of a renowned bail-out squad, that was always sent to turn the tide of a difficult battle. But the padawan in front of her hardly had the qualities for such a positon.

" You are all talk! You make fun of me, but what is your role in all this, comedian, jester, mascot? For all I know, you may be useless!" she retorted angrily.

Nelo went still for a whole minute. The world around them seemed to stop and the gaze that met Ahsoka's stare had a dangerous edge to it. She tried her best not to blink. It was hard…and worrisome.

The human padawan, motioned them to follow him. At the same time, he hailed his troops.

" Craig, get the men ready for a diamond strike! Tell them to stand by until I join you!" he then switched to another channel. " Mark, Sharp, bring in the _**Sheller**_! The enemy's got tanks on us, but we'll take care of that!" the two clones saluted ad in under five minutes, showed up with a 40 mm sniper cannon that was three and a half meters long and weighed in quite a lot, 55 kg with all the extra gear to it.

" Now watch and learn, you bratty youngling!"

The other two jedi had seen the weapon being used before, during Nelo's training simulations. It was an oversized super rifle-cannon hybrid that fired High Explosive Rounds similar to Thermal Detonators.

Nelo fixed the tripod, spread the stabilizers and the recoil control counterweights, then fidgeted with his helmet, turned on one of his favorite tunes **(the song suggestion)** and looked through the scope. A detachment of twelve tanks, along with a complement of battle droids could be seen- no 'shrooms, though. He adjusted the scope until he got the sights on the first tank in the formation.

" Oh, come on, what does he hope to achieve? He's listening to MUSIC, for crying out loud!" a fuming Ahsoka protested.

" Nelo has said before that it helps him connect with the Force- akin to meditation. And we all know the Force works in mysterious ways!" Master Kenobi admitted.

As they barely heard the ammo round being loaded and the trigger being pulled, one of the enemy tanks got hit right through its gun barrel, exploding from the inside out like a firecracker.

Hivaarr used the Force to throw away the heavy, burning hot, empty shell, as the two clones helped reload the weapon.

The show went on until five tanks were out. The others, he couldn't penetrate their sloped, reinforced armor from his current angle. Plus, the weapon was getting overheated and he didn't want to wreck the " Sheller"

As he rose from his position, he joined the three dumbfounded jedi, an _**I told you so!**_ \- expression reserved just for Ahsoka.

She really didn't have anything to say; she was speechless. In her own mind, she couldn't believe he had pulled that off. It defied all sense and logic.

But now, the human padawan, Nelo, had angered the droids which were intensifying their fire.

" Ok Craig, seems I've softened them up enough. Snipers, cover us! The rest, we begin our assault!" he ordered them. Next, he put his visor over his eyes and saluted the other three jedi.

In a couple of minutes, most of their unit had gathered on the main highway and was on the move- Nelo had them use physical, reinforced durasteel shields, together with energy shields. There were special holes in the shields to allow blaster rifles to fire at the enemy undeterred.

The padawan was at the head of his trademark "Diamond Storm" tactic. He himself was able to deflect most fire back at the assailants by using his golden lightsaber, this knocking out droid after droid. His trusted clones hammered down the enemy, their formation breaking its rank akin to a tidal wave. The now disorganized clankers were eazy pickings for the rear guard and the snipers.

Anakin commented on the situation.

" At least he seems to be having fun!"

Kenobi nodded in agreement, while answering on an amused tone.

" True! I believe we should set him loose upon the Separatists more often! He's more efficient then any of the tests showed!"

Again, feeling herself left out of the loop, the togruta padawan had no choice but to overcome her reluctance and ask aloud:

" Am I missing something, master? What's up with the other guy?"

" What do you mean, young one?" Kenobi answered in Anakin's place.

" It's just that he behaves… arrogantly, rashly, is not modest… look at him flaunting his skills as if this war was a game- his game!" shee replied, a tinge of resent in her voice. " How did he even make it to padawan, let alone commander rank?"

Master Kenobi started telling her how he was found to be too powerful in the Force at a too young age to be ignored. He would have become a danger to himself and those around him if he hadn't been taken in by knight Erladin and the Jedi Order.

First lightsaber at the age of ten, first mission at 12 years and he gathered a pretty impressive record. Only in recent times- since Geonosis, to be specific- he had been restricted to only a few missions.

" But why? From what you've been telling me, he seems to good to be grounded?" asked a calmer, more curious Ahsoka.

Obi Wan flinched as he spoke the next words very carefully, perhaps as a reminder to all who were there.

" It's his power! It requires him being very, very careful with its use, so that he doesn't exaggerate! And I think you'll see a thorough demonstration of it!"

Indeed, she would, for Hivaarr broke formation to clean up what was left of the droids, when, seemingly out of nowhere, 20 destroyers were rolling up to their position. They were too many too all of a sudden, so he gathered up his men quickly, ordered them in a turtle formation, then rocket launchers to be prepared.

Until they could counterattack, he had to buy time. Concentrating on the world around him, on his being, on the Living Force- he summoned the energy he needed.

All the spectators of the battle were shocked when a giant Force Barrier covered the Juggernaut Company, shielding them from all harm.

While the padawan had his arms out, sweat dripping from his face at the effort of holding a shield against the relentless laser onslaught, his troops prepared the heavy gear. Craig realized, though, that they couldn't fire them, since they were close enough to be caught in the radius. So he ordered something else.

Mark and Sharp went to the cannons, calculating the angle, the distance and the area damage. One of them hailed the commander, Craig, to order the fall-back.

The clones broke into a run, only Hivaarr staying behind to cover them. Not too soon after, three volleys of dangerous energy bombs were heading to his position. They were going to hit him from behind; he could feel that. He also felt his shield cracking wide, so he stopped it, sommersaulted in the air, then used the Force to redirect the shells at the confused droidekas. The effect was simply…devastating. The whole area where he had been was scorched, all remains pulverized.

He landed safely a good 50 meters back and followed his troops back at the command centre. A causalty report revealed six wounded, of various degrees, but no deaths, thankfully. A great win!

Craig was welcomed by captain Rex and commander Cody, both of whom praised him for taking the pressure off of the battered remains of the 501st and 212th battalions. The rest of the clones started mingling with each other, old and new friends enjoying the short reprieve.

Hivaarr himself removed his helmet and the armor's gauntlets and chest plates. They had taken fire and needed to be replaced. He now wore only his customary robes. Plus, he liked the freedom of movement and the cold air that caressed his aching muscles.

He was approached by his three fellow jedi, who looked beyond impressed.

" I know I should thank you for the cannons, so, yeah, thanks big bro!" he tiredly said, sparing them a glance.

" That was a sight to see, padawan!" Obi Wan commended him.

" Nearly zero losses too…I'll be sure to tell the other masters about it!" he added.

" Yes…about that… I think we've got a problem! Here!" Anakin interrupted, as he lowered the binoculars and handed them to Kenobi. " New droid army, rayshielded, by the looks of it!"

They all knew that their cannons and tanks were pretty much useless against it and agreed that the best coure of action was destroying the shield generators, wherever those lay.

Skywalker offered to go alone, but master Kenobi coerced him into taking Ahsoka with him. Nelo offered to stay behind and help hold the line. Jockingly, he said that Skywalker needed some _quality time_ , with his new apprentice. He got sent straight into a nearby wall for that one insult.

Everyone went to their posts. Anakin and Ahsoka hid under a box until the army passed around them, not paying them any mind. As silly as it was, the tactic worked and they found themselves behind the enemy lines. The road was clear, for now at least.

Meanwhile, the artillery couldn't breach the rayshields. Master Kenobi took Rex and an advance force to harass the approaching army and thin their numbers.

Once they too were in, they ambushed the droids by sniping them from the safety of the skyscrapers. Kenobi, Cody and Rex led a ground assault as well, yet with all their heroics, the numbers stacked against them were simply too great. Their soldiers fell one by one and the advancing tanks were shattering their makeshift barricades. They had to slowly fall back, lest they'd be destroyed.

Droids were already pouring through to Nelo's lines. Hivaarr wasted no time and positioned his men in a semilune formation. They patiently waited untild the shield went past them, then fired waves after waves of laser at the enemy.

Not too soon after turning the first two droid lines to scrap, they were confrointed with more and more enemies, tanks showing up as well. He ordered rockets to be fired, but they didn't have enough left. Also,news of general Kenobi's capture reached their ears. The clones, Juggernaut, 501st and 212th alike, were starting to lose hope.

Nelo would have none of that! He was a jedi; his duty was to instill order, to give hope, to save lives… If this was supposed to be the end, he'll crush the enemy with all his might before he'd give his last breath!

Rex, Craig, Cody and all the clones joined him in a last ditch assault on the Separatists. The Republic Soldiers followed the commander without question, all of them finding a comrade and brother in the yellow lightsaber wielding padawan that fought tooth and nail and bled beside them.

Nelo jumped at one of the tanks, slicing its cannon off at the turret. He then opened its hatch with the Force and tossed a grenade. He jumped mere seconds before the whole contraption was engulfed in flames, landing in the midst of a droid force. He didn't lose one second. He began slashing and hacking and blasting away at them with his lightsaber and blaster pistol respectively.

Craig and his men rushed to help him out. They created a corridor which Nelo used for his retreat when things turned sour.

Another tank approached and he sent his lightsaber flying at it in a swirl, cutting off the gun's nozzle. As a result, when the vehicle tried to fire, the explosive round got blocked in the barrel, with devastating effects for the vehicle.

Grinning proudly, Hivaarr turned to defend his men from yet another onslaught when, suddenly, he rayshields started flicking out, revealing a now vulnerable opponent.

Nelo's grin turned to a ferocious, vengeful one.

"Mark, order the tanks and cannons to fire, NOW!"

The clone sergeant did as he was told. Soon, the droids were beaten back and shattered by the combined power of the infantery and artillery.

An hour or so later, there were no ore working clankers on the city's streets, only scrap. As a plus, master Kenobi managed to capture the enemy general. A tired and beaten up duo of Anakin and Ahsoka returned, their expressions lightened up since last time.

" You two look like hell! What happened?" he asked them.

" Look in the mirror, lil bro!" Anakin retorted. "She accidentally activated the trap, which included over 30 heavy droids!"

" But we did beat them and save the day, right master?" Ahsoka intervened, evidently proud, judging by her smile.

" I'm glad you two are now friends _master_ _Skywalker_!" Hivaarr started. He wanted to rise to his feet, but fell to a knee, letting out a hiss of pain. Craig had to help him up.

It was only then that he realized how tired he truly was. Adrenaline and Force Rush could trick one, that's for sure! His body was screaming in protest at the effort. Plus, his damned inhibitor wasn't helping at all; on the contrary!

Anakin put a hand on his shoulder, shaking him from his thoughts. Ahsoka as well, for no matter how much she despised his attitude, she was worried.

"You alright, little brother?"

Nelo looked at him, at both of them, before sighing. His face was sweaty and pale.

" It's the collar! I don't know how much you know about such things, but it drains away Force Energy, while as secondary effects… it affects the body, tiring it!" he panted a few seconds, as Craig eased him on a stone bench nearby.

"Don't worry about me, tho! Your men…I've managed to save a lot of them with my Force Shields…just be glad!" he smiled before falling asleep.

The new togruta padawan, Ahsoka Tano, learned an important lesson that day about devotion and the spirit of sacrifice. In her eyes, the human padawan looked just as much a jedi knight as her new master.

Speaking of which, Anakin pulled her and Rex aside. They had received a new mission: to rescue Jabba the Hutt's son from unknown captors and return him to the crime lord. In doing so, they would secure vital supply routes for the Outer Rim. They had to be successful.

Just as they were gathering everything, master Yoda and the reinforcements arrived to relieve them.

Yoda gazed upon the battered, sleeping padawan as he listened to captain Craig's report. The green alien frowned. It gave him much to think of.

*/

 _ **Hey dear readers, I've finally gotten through to the Clone Wars Series (2008+), which you can use as a sort of visualization template.**_

 _ **Tell me what you think and if you have any advice, characters, sub-plots you may want to add, leave a review or send me a PM.**_

 _ ***credit for the song goes to Enter Shikari—nice band by the way!**_ __

 _ ***credit for Star Wars goes to George Lucas, Lucasarts and whoever may own it nowadays**_


	19. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20:** _ **Dark corners**_

 **[Song suggestion: Nox Arkana: The Darkness is Coming]**

 _Nelo Hivaarr felt like he was being drawn into an abyss of sorts. Endless waves of black waters poured over him from all sides as he swam for his life. Out of reflex more than anything, he held his breath, trying not to drown. But as seconds turned to minutes and he gasped for air, he found himself able to breathe._

 _Moreover he felt his bodily aches leave him and a strange energy envelop him. A slight nudge at his mind told him to be careful-extremely careful- with each new step, each new action._

 _Then everything shifted. He was on an unknown planet, where the skies were pouring green, acidic rain, where the one sun was not enough to shine through the poisonous clouds and light up strange mounds and broken down statues, structures that resembled temples._

 _A scream could be heard from afar. Another and another, again and again, followed through, getting ever closer. Nelo shivered but still had the presence of mind to reach for his lightsaber…_

 _That was missing at the moment?_

 _What was going on in this place!?_

 _His legs were trembling and his shivering aggravated. He looked all around him, taking notice of the fact that the sun was going down. Staying out in the open wasn't an option. But would the shadows and the derelict structures be his salvation or his grave? Were there worse things lurking within the dusty, crumbling, ancient walls?_

 _With a kick, he broke through the rubble barrier blocking his way, entering one of the giant buildings. Eeries voices…or rather, traces of voices long since lost were haunting the corridors. The wind was still getting in, the cold biting his skin and he felt as if someone was watching, but strangely enough, everytime he looked around, only darkness or dust or the occasional bones would be there. No trace of any living being whatsoever._

 _Did that mean that this place was truly haunted?_

 _He remembered some of the books he read. Some mentioned Force Apparitions, or Ghosts, that may inhabit certain places in the Galaxy that act as Poles of Attraction. That meant that this place here had to be one of the Dark Side's "home planets"._

" _This is bad…very,very bad!"_

 _Growls could be heard all around him all of a sudden. They sounded like nothing he'd met before. It was worse than a rancor or a katarn's. Alarmed, he gathered the Force around him and prepared for the worst._

 _Beams of pale lights protruded through the cracks of the roof. They enabled him to see the monster with his own eyes._

 _A creature born of nightmares. A reptile that resembled the Katarn, but with two wings attached to its hands, red eyes that emanated hatred and hostility, a mouth dripping what would be poisonous saliva, three rows of teeth, more menacing than the firaxan sharks of Manaan, hornes and spike growing out of its body from head to tail. Also, the tail was akin to a spear that would no doubt cut pierce metal gates, walls._

 _It growled again as it stepped closer, slowly, carefully, menacingly. The beast seemed smart enough not to charge right away and use its fear factor._

 _Nelo felt like a fly caught in a trap. He had to do something to shake away this fear but it was as if his will, his spirit, his legs and hands were chained. By what or to what, he couldn't tell._

" **There is no emotion, there is peace,**

 **There is no ignorance, there is knowledge,**

 **There is no passion, there is serenity,**

 **There is no chaos, there is harmony,**

 **There is no death, there is the Force!"**

 _He chanted out in order to centre himself, but he failed miserably. His shackles were weakened, but still there. What's worse, the words seemed to anger the beast, which jumped at him._

 _Nelo ducked to the side, narrowly avoiding a beheading. The beast retracted its head from the shattered wall and sniffed around, locating him as he tried to step away. It ran at him, closing the distance faster than it was physically possible._

 _The padawan sent a Force Push at the monster, stopping it in its tracks. Another Force Push set it back a few meters, but with all the energy he had put in, it should've smashed it into the wall._

" _Something's not right here! This place is strange, stranger than any other I've seen or been in before!"_

 _The beast smashed his tail into his torso, cutting a long gash and sending him flying onto the floor. He ached all over but his middle section was leaking blood and hurt like all nine Corellian hells…combined._

 _As the beast pounced on him he gathered all strength and kicked it in the chest area, sending it away. Groggingly, he got up and looked around for a solution but there was none._

" _**What is a jedi without a lightsaber?**_

 _ **One that will rely on the Force for survival!**_

 _ **Strip him of the Force and he'll be blind and weak**_

 _ **Even more than nonsensitives!"**_

 _A mysterious voice was taunting him. Strangely enough, it seemed to come from the mouth of the beast. Was that even possible?_

" _**Of course it is, foolish jedi!"**_

 _The beast got closer, but with each of its steps, it morphed into a humanoid shape, right until it resembled a middle sized,blonde haired woman with golden eyes, sith tattoos on the right side of her face and dressed in black robes and light armor._

 _She sported a double bladed red lightsaber, which she activated immediately._

" _**Little jedi**_ _" she spoke eerily and with Force Seduction behind her words._ _ **" … what are you doing here?"**_ _she smiled at him, revealing a predatory grin._ _ **" Are you lost?"**_

 _Nevermind that he almost wet his pants at hearing her voice and the transformation, the face, the dark energies swirling all around her put him on edge. Now he knew fear… her 'friendly' look betrayed a cruelty and a cynic character unlike any. It also spoke volumes of who she was supposed to be._

 _He swallowed his fear and drew a breath._

" _Sith Lord…"_

" _**Very, very good, little jedi!"**_ _she applauded theatricly._ _ **" Do you know who I am?"**_ _her face inched closer and her grin grew wider._

 _He kept his eyes on the lightsaber, but also on the world around him. He couldn't afford to miss any detail, not while being defenseless. He also gave her another glance, stopping his gaze upon her tattoos and her weapon. Those were unique to each sith… and sith like her hadn't been sighted since the Ruusan Reformation… and that meant… OH NO! His eyes went wide in recognition, which she did not miss._

" _Darth Zannah…apprentice to…Darth Bane…and his killer!" he shakily said._

 _She inched even closer, until their faces were barely centimeters apart. And then she laughed, maniacally and cruely, she laughed in his face, her eyes sparkling with a creepy joy._

" _**A jedi who did his homework! I am so glad that you acknowledged all that!"**_ _she used her bare left hand to caress his cheek almost too tenderly. He was too paralyzed to do anything for now._ _ **" So tell me, padawan learner, what was it like using the Dark Side? Having access to true, limitless power, born of your will alone?"**_

 _In a moment of clarity, he stepped away from her debilitating touch and stood as firm as he could._

" _It felt chaotic, almost incontrollable, I had to fight each second to bend the…emotions to my will…and even more to will it back to its dark prison!"_

" _**I do not usually talk to members of your stupid Order, but you gained my attention, padawan! You have potential and I am willing to teach you to use it like a true warrior, a true lider and surpass all your contestants!"**_ _she raised her hands in grandeur._

 _Inbetween painful throbs in his chest area, he fought tooth and nail to keep a clear head. Such a strong sith, he couldn't possibly beat. But it was a Force Ghost, dangerous only if it had the right context, and if the books he read were true, only if through your own means. He had nothing to lose if he put that to the test._

" _Darth Zannah!"_

 _She stopped her gestures and watched him half-amused, half-curious as to what he was doing._

" _You are a Force Ghost! You can't harm me if I let go!"_

 _Her right eye twitched, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing._

" _**But I can, foolish padawan! And I will!"**_

" _Before, with the beast form, you preyed on my nightmares…your greatest power lays in twisting fears and nightmares and imagination; that's why you harmed me before! I harmed myself by believing my eyes and body, instead of my being and the Force!" he spoke, ever more daring and courageous._

 _The effects were visible. She took her beast form again and jumped at him. He, instead of running or ducking, opened his arms wide and watched the horror straight in the eyes._

 _The growl and the darkness crept closer and closer, he could see the blodied tips of the claws glitter in the dim lit room, but he let his thoughts be fed to the flame of life burning inside him. The same flame that may yet be extinguished and drawn back into the cyclical Force._

 _He felt as if he got hit by a star cruiser, but he let the peace of the last moments envelop him. Paradoxily, he was sent back through the dark well that he had fallen in, only to reach what looked to be the surface. He calmly swam until he reached the shore._

Then he woke up with a gasp.

Master Yoda and master Erladin watched him intrigued. He was still on Christophsis and it was nighttime. He wondered how long he had been asleep, but he was shaken from his contemplation by the voice of his master.

" Nelo, we've been worried sick for you! You've been out for the whole day out of a sudden, from what captain Craig was telling me! What happened?"

He looked to be genuinely worried, but it was grandmaster Yoda that did not look that surprised. Had he felt the inner struggle that he had in the dream world? Or was it truly a dream world or the Force itself? That he could not tell!

"…I…" he began, but then he felt something strange. He felt free. Not only that, he felt much lighter, as if a great weight was lifted from his shoulders…or rather, from around his neck.

" I met…, Force how should I even put it? It sounds so freaky and strange!'' he trailed off.

" What do you mean, Nelo? Please tell us so that we may help you!"

" Master, grandmaster, would you believe me if I told you that I met… _**Darth Zannah**_!?"

That certainly got their attention, to say the least. It actually installed fear in them. It could not be a coincidence that the last great sith lord appeared to him after the collar had been taken off. Even the latter decision was taken in order to alleviate the great pressure on the padawan. Even Yoda could sense that it was killing him slowly if he was to continue wearing it. But this was unexpected. He felt the tug of darkness enveloping the boy, the minute the Force Restriction Collar was removed. It was akin to a barrage being blown up and the water overrunning everything downstream. He was more worried than surprised by the fact that the boy had not only a seed of the Dark Side in him, but also a natural affinity and an occasional transborder use of the Force. Grey Jedi, Grey Sith tendencies, both of them heretical to both sides all the same.

Nelo felt compelled to tell them the whole episode and he did just that. It took over an hour to describe everything in every detail and another couple of hours to interpret what had happened.

Yoda postulated that it was a metaphorical battle between Nelo's light and dark sides, both of which had manifested themselves as a result of the sudden free flow of the Force through him. All three jedi couldn't however piece together why Darth Zannah, a sith lord that hadn't been heard of- even mentioned- in the last 1000 years, decided to _contact him_ from beyond the grave.

The wisest of the jedi masters regarded it as residual Force Alchemy that may have kept her as a Force Apparition, but that still didn't explain why Nelo, right here and now, met her in a dream world. There were no artifacts, no traces, no nothing, to cause such a phenomena. He had to ponder this in great calm and detail, back at the Jedi Temple.

Nelo Hivaarr, meanwhile, was left on the planet to supervise the takeout of the Separatist forces that remained and then help keep the peace. His master had to return to patrolling the system, but would not be too far away. The human padawan had strict instructions as to how to behave and was given a transmitter modified to host an emergency frequence, in case the symptoms resurfaced.

As he left to catch up with his clone troopers, Erladin, worriedly turned to master Yoda, whom he questioned:

" Master, is it wise to let him go alone? What if things get out of hand?"

" Only way to know if they will, this is! Also, not far away, are you! Trust in the padawan, we must! Otherwise, trust us, he will not!" came the answer, as the green alien stepped to the warship that was to take him back.

" _Compassion, together with mercy and trust are the essential qualities that separate us from sith, if we carefully look at both philosophies take on emotions!"_ Erladin remembered one of the lectures he had with masters Yoda and Windu.

The jedi each went to their transports, praying that Nelo would rise up to the expectations.

 _Three hours later…_

" Alright Craig, that seems to be the last of them here! I'll take a speeder bike, if you don't mind!"

"Sure, commander! What would you have us do?"

" Well, while I scout that last Separatist base, you start organizing the locals into safe zones for the civilians and refugees. Tend to their needs, if you will?" his question was as much of a request as it was a command.

The two nodded and shook hands, then Nelo dressed himself in some spare armor, took a sniper rifle, his blaster and lightsaber and drove off into the sunset. He paid close attention to the surroundings, for every now and then, leftover snipers would have him in their crosshairs. Of course, the Force and his reflexes worked wonders together, allowing him to evade all danger. With his bike on autopilot, he would sometimes use the rifle to shoot back, knocking out the damned droids. He admitted to himself, that despite the strange nightmare, he was feeling much better than before; the cursed collar was, alas, off.

As time went by, he cleared out more snipers and small pockets of droid runaways, but had so far not met any worthwile resistance. Strange, because the last scans showed that a good one sixth of the droid army had escaped the battles. He needed to contact his men.

" Craig, somethings up! I can't find the enemy, is my info wrong? Craig?! Damn! Jammers!" he cursed aloud, before he evaded a volley of laser fire.

Most came from somewhere in the front, probably one of the still standing towers. He had no normal way to get there without being turned into Alderaani Summer Cheese, so he improvised. He tuned the bike to the maximum, stomped the acceleration and used one of the smoother shattered wall pieces as a ramp.

With all the speed he had gathered, plus the momentum, he flew straight at the building, fired the onboard guns at the opponents, then found himself jumping right before impact. The climbing cable saved him from a nasty fall, fourteen stories down, and helped him get to the "door" he created.

The whole building was a strategic vantage point. Carefully, he stepped to the centre of the room and to the computer terminal that lay there. A slicing spike in it and he was in their peripheral system.

"Well…well… a jamming antenna, miniguns, a few cannons and lookie look, a base!" he exclaimed. He added another couple of spikes and he was in the main system. Now the cameras revealed an underground hangar that was loading loot, leftover troops and tanks and whatever they had left. And since the skies on this side of the planet were not patrolled by the Republic, they had a high chance of escaping unnoticed. Clever.

He logged out and went to one of the windows. Carefully, he used the scope of the sniper rifle to scout the area. At the first glance, it seemed free. At a second glance, he could spot the hidden enemies.

Calmly, he looted the room for whatever useful stuff was left. Thermal detonators, a few frag grenades and some spare ammo cases. All of them in his backpack and he went on to the roof.

He crouched and approached the droids. With a few small Force Pulls, he had them out of sight and cut down like grass. Then he planted the makeshift explosive at the base of the contraption. With a bit of luck, the thing will come down and reveal the area to the scanners before it was too late. Even he wasn't so arrogant to think that he was able to take on that base alone.

The timer was set to ten minutes. It would be enough for him to escape this unnoticed.

But things were never so simple around him!

As he descended, the lift he was in was yanked to a halt. He could hear pacing outside the door and he readied his lightsaber…

A certain dark acolyte opened the door and Force Pulled him out of there.

" Nelo, dear, did you miss me?" Inanna flashed him her predatory smile while her yellow eyes sparkled.

*cliff hanger*

 _Nelo's inner struggle will aggravate itself over time, but he doesn't know that. Will that unlock new powers? New dangers? A Force Ghost of a Sith Lord already haunts him. And Yoda will not let that matter die down._

 _A turning point, one of many._

 _*/reviews and PMs are welcomed, so feel free to give your opinion./*_

 _Credit here it's due; Universe belongs to Lucasarts, music to Nox Arkana._


	20. Ch:21 Self-harm, Self-doubt

**Ch-21:** _ **Self Harm, Self Doubt**_

 **[song suggestion:** _ **Excision-With you**_ **]**

Nelo's reflexes were as sharp as ever. When Inanna Force Pulled him out of the elevator, he avoided brashing into the wall in front of him by doing a Force Push against it.

The room the were in looked like the mostly intact apartment of some noble. Only the walls were a bit burned and some chairs were strewn about.

A dark, cloaked shape approached him, red lightsaber turned on.

" Hello, little jedi!" Inanna's eerily alluring voice called out.

Hivaarr prepared a good retort, but then a disturbing thing happened: Darth Zannah's frightening face appeared over the dark acolyte's. The Force Ghost was possessing his forbidden lover, his dark princess, menacingly raising her hands and blasting him with lightning… red coloured, the most corrupted and vicious of ones. Even with his yellow lightsaber raised in defence, he couldn't avoid the sharp pain that engulfed his body.

Meanwhile, a dumbfounded Inanna watched as Nelo struggled at… virtually nothing. His face was scrunched, he seemed in distress, as if he was shellshocked by something.

Battlestress? PTSD? No, that couldn't be it. He faced death and peril too often for that to happen. No, it was something else, something to do with heir meeting just now. He was never scared of her- though he really should be, she mused.

Sighing, she took off her half-mask and hood, stepped closer, then used the Force to pin him down. In two quick movements, she parried the frantic lightsaber attack and Force called it to her hand.

…

Nelo was done for! The Ghost of that Sith Lord wouldn't leave him in peace; it had him at her mercy. Perhaps if he closed his eyes it would go away, just like in the nightmare. That was it…probably: not showing fear. Be that as it may, his mind couldn't coordinate itself with his body and soul…

…until he felt a stinging pain on his right cheek.

Inanna had slapped him, hard enough for him to wander if his teeth are still there.

" NELO! Cut the crap and look at me!"

He opened his eyes and was met with her beautiful olive face, her flowing brown hair, those alluring black coloured lips and her sparkling yellow eyes. At least their colour didn't hide 900 years' worth of cursing and hate. It was the gaze of a certain- mad, he now saw- dark acolyte.

" Inanna… you're back!" he exclaimed and raised himself.

" Of course I'm back, you idiot, I never left!" she sighed. " What the heck happened to you a minute ago?" she furrowed her brows.

Nelo stopeed for a moment to think. Telling her could be dangerous, especially now, when he didn't have all the pieces of this freaky puzzle. Count Dooku might get a hold of the information and might decide to capture him for interrogation, torture and conversion even. He'd heard enough stories of the sith faction's so called "hospitality". Books spoke of numberless acts if terror, atrocities, the last and most gruesome having been performed by the apparition that was haunting him.

And still, hadn't he broken enough rules, enough taboos with her? He already trusted her to such an extent that most will have him for a fool!

Inanna looked at him being lost in thought. At least he didn't have that scardy loth kat look on his face like before. Obviously, it had to be something sensible, for he refused to answer. Not that it mattered! She had her own ways on making prisoers spill their beans… usually their guts as well.

" Tell me, evil princess of my heart, have you ever heard of Darth Zannah?" Nelo finally spoke on a serious tone, gazing into her eyes.

Silence ensued. All sounds were dimmed all around them. Outside the building, the sun was setting, orange light bearing into the room they were in.

After a minute or so of silent tension, the dark acolyte answered.

" How could I not? I was the best in my class!" she grinned at him and went on. " Honestly, she is a bit of a model for me. I might just tell you why…some other time. Suffice to say that I owe part of my training to her, indirectly. Why?

" Let's just say that I've been having nightmares or visions or…both… today, concerning her. Mere minutes ago, she seemed to be possessing you, her face covering yours entirely: blonde hair, glowing tattoos, a vicious grin… then she shot _**red lightning**_ at me. I fought you/her off, until you yourself did something and it all stopped and went away!'' he decided to be sincere to her, which she picked up on.

" I didn't fight you at all, neither use any powers. It must have been a figment of your imagination! And that's even stranger, now that I think about it!" she said as she gathered her stuff from the floor.

He wanted to speak, but his would be question never came out. A loud boom shook the entire building. The tower started to crumble, floor by floor, starting from above. The bomb had gone off in the meantime, destroying the antenna and with it, the jammer that had created the radar blank zone on the planet's map.

Only one problem remained: he was in the crumbling tower!

No time to waste! The lift was a death trap, the stairs too…

" The window, quickly!" he grabbed Inanna by the hand and they jumped.

" It's too high for both of us, idiot!" she shouted at him as she summoned Dark Rage. The level of mastery that she had was enough to shield her from the crash. Broken bones were a certainty, though!

As her hair was being blown by the wind, she gritted her teeth and summoned every ounce of rage and strength and will to live. Debris were hitting them, but she paid no mind.

A pair of glowing yellow eyes glanced at Nelo. He too seemed afraid. To his credit though, he kept it under control this time. What's more, he covered himself into a Force Barrier of sorts.

Their hands were glowing a strange shade of purple at their point of connection. It stung her and him too, most likely, but she could feel their powers increasing.

Nelo couldn't know if she felt it, but their powers were completing each other somehow. He felt pain in his left hand, but it couldn't compare to being splashed like a fly on the concrete street below.

He dared to glance at her one more time, as he increased his power usage. Their eyes met and they gripped their hands harder, the orange barrier surrounding them both entirely.

They neared the surface. The ground came closer and closer…

…

They felt the impact wholly, as well as the few blocks of plascrete that hit them from above. Slowly, their senses returned and they realized that they were in each other's arms. Making use of the moment, he kissed her earnestly, enjoying the taste of her lips.

Inanna felt attracted to him in the final moments of the fall. Instinctively, she had latched on to him- and he to her.

It was becoming clear that they were somehow meant to be together. To her it felt so right… but then they belonged to two different, antagonic factions. Like she told herself back in her apartment on Cato Neimoidia, she won't join the jedi, but rather convert Nelo to the sith in her own way and then he will be all hers.

Hivaarr stole another kiss off her lips before breaking the embrace.

" I would have you in my arms all day and night, O, Pearl of the Desert, but my men will crush our party soon!" he smiled awkawardly while Inanna began covering herself up in her robes and half-mask.

" I've had it with us being interrupted, Nelo dear! I want you by my side; always! You're wasting your time, potential and they are not even thanking you for it!" her green eyes betrayed a deep, sincere need for him.

He entertained the thought. At least three Council Members (Windu, Shaak Ti and Agen Kolar) personally had something against him in general; they did put a collar on him to keep tabs and they kept him secluded in the Temple on Coruscant. Try as he might, he couldn't ignore the truth in her words. At the same time, what would joining her mean?

Abandoning Master Erladin, Anakin, Padme- probably ending up fighting against them-not to mention endangering his natural family. Add to that taking orders from Dooku… or whoever the leader of the Separatists was. No, it didn't sit right by him.

He opened his mouth to answer her, but Inanna stopped him with a kiss filled with passion, longing and in no small part, seduction.

After a minute, they both gasped for air and looked in each other's eyes. They didn't have much time; they had to make a choice!

" People that I love, that I care about, my family and countless other families in the Galaxy are counting on me to do my duty as a Jedi and Sentient! I can't abandon either…" he put his hands on her shoulders, his forehead against hers. " Just as I can't abandon you!"

" You would love others more than you love me?" her icy tone inquired, an edge of danger to it.

" Force no!" he shook his head.

" Then CHOOSE! Me or them! You can't have both! I won't come to the Jedi to be tried, condemned to death or years in prison! They would strip me of my identity, my character, my powers and still forbid our relationship!" she pounded him with her fists, her eyes dropping small tears, but also turning yellow.

" So we are at an impasse, my dear!" he told her as he scanned the surroundings. His forces were probably on the move, led by a squadron of X-Wings, most likely.

" Inanna, you've got to…!"

" I'm not leaving without you, wether you want it or not!" she turned on her weapon- on training mode- and went for a hit.

Nelo arched back, avoiding the swipe at his neck. His own lightsaber came to life, intercepting Inanna's strikes. He fell back in his Vaapad Style, which he hadn't properly used in a while. He hoped it will be enough. His weapon was angled over his right shoulder, parallel to the ground, his energy concentrated on Force Absorb.

Meanwhile, Inanna had switched to Ataru, her Force Rage beginning to manifest. Fast, brutal strikes destined to tire out Nelo- or at least have him lower his guard.

The padawan jumped out of the crater and back on the highway. The dark acolyte used the Force to throw piles of debris at him, which he either cut down or deflected to the sides.

Out of a sudden, Nelo abandoned the defence, making three stabbing movements, one of which burned her left shoulder area. Even in training mode, such a weapon was painful and to be reckoned with.

Hissing, Inanna let out a wave of sith lightning, which Nelo blocked with both his hands, siphoning the energy and replenishing his own reserves.

" I love what you did to Saato; it suits her so well!" she taunted him, while delivering a kick to his stomach. " Never knew you had it in you, being so direct, so vengeful!" she laughed maliciously while keeping the current of the Force active. " Revenge for Anakin's hand?" she stopped her attack, jumped over him, landed behind and swiped his legs from under him. Next, a Force Grip had him paralyzed in the air.

Nelo discovered another, sadistic part of her today. He, of course, denied her words with all his being. That battle was fought without emotions- on his side at least. She had also refined her powers, it would seem, while his had faltered just now from weeks of misuse. The claw holding him in the air was just waiting to dig into his neck.

Afraid, one might say that he was. But not just for him. Shark and his squadron could kill her too, or shoot her ship down if she didn't get out of here quickly enough…

A deep pain inside of him. He looked down, but no wound was appearent. Even so, the area around his heart felt like it had been stabbed and burned at the same time.

" _The Dark Side… or a Force Burnout!"_ his frantic mind suggested. He clenched his teeth, closed his eyes and tensed. It was of no use, for the throbbing would not subside.

Inanna had half the mind to squeeze his life out, to tighten the hold until his neck snapped. A voice inside of her argued that he deserved it for not having her as his number one priority. Yes, she now bathed in the Dark Side, enjoying the power, the way it banished dilemmas, uncertainties.

Inanna looked upon Nelo, at how he was struggling to break her hold. At a more sharper glance, however, she noticed that he began to hyperventilate, even though his windpipe was unharmed(for now). Focusing on his Force signature, she found it to be chaotic, pendulating from strong to unbelievably weak. It was flickering. Only question was: why?

And then it happened.

He stopped breathing. His body fell limply to the ground as she let go.

One one hand, she was satisfied; her revenge for the rejection, sated. Another part of her-her heart, black as it was- ached to see him in this state. He couldn't just die. He couldn't! Something was wrong.

She rushed to his side. Allthewile, a battle was waged inside of her as to what to do.

Nelo layed weak, sprawled all over on the cold, concrete street. His hair was all wild and dusty, his eyes nearly closed, their purple shine, gone. His armor was broken in many parts, undoubtedly his body was dead tired. And still, his chest didn't rise at all.

" _**That's it! Look at him,the weakling! He doesn't deserve to live! Just plunge the lightsaber into his heart and be done with it!" a dark voice inside of her beckoned.**_

" … _but he said he loves me!" a timid, lighter voice of her countered, just as Inanna's hands cupped Nelo's cheeks. " He is so caring, so tender, if times were different!" it added._

 _ **The dark voice growled and shouted: "He is making you weak, undoing years of work on your part! How long did it take you to lift yourself from weakness, fear and poverty? Look at you throwing all away! You're fearful; he makes you weak; he'll use that as a weapon!" it bellowed maliciously.**_

" _No he will not! He hadn't betrayed you when he had the chance; he gave you peace, love, satisfaction, a beautiful present and, above all, he accepts you!" the lighter voice spoke up, then added with a hint of amusement. "And he did kick Saato's ass, paying her back for her insults to you!"_

Inanna sighed, her hand remaining on Nelo's left cheek. He looked so tender, so vulnerable, akin to a flower. He was in her power, totally. She should feel elated, but she didn't. She remembered being weak, being at someone else's mercy- that didn't exist.

Try as she might, she couldn't leave him like that, so she reached for his transmitter and activated an SOS retrieval signal. Some friendlies were bound to find him.

Before she left, she leaned in, planting another, last kiss on his broken lips.

Her own troops were scrambling away asap from the soon to come onslaught.

She walked away from her chosen one; her own path awaited.

 **/**

 **Author's Note**

 **Open poll for you readers:**

 **\- Inanna: her role, her alignment**

 **\- Nelo and his problems with Force Channeling**

 **\- Beyond the grave Sith Lords/Ghosts. Should I keep them?**

 **\- Do you want any new characters?**

 **Answers are to be left in the review section.**

 _If you liked the story, don' forget to favorite and follow._

 _Credits to Lucasarts for the franchise and Excision for the song._


	21. CH22: Facing the news

**CH22:** _ **Facing the news…**_

 **[song suggestion: Voicians: Stranger]**

Groaning, Nelo woke up from his dreamless sleep. Much to his surprise, his eyes revealed that he was in a Republic Front Hospital, with stitches and bandages all over him, plus an I.V. poked into his left arm.

" Why do I have to waste away in such places so often?" he asked himself rhetorically, aloud.

As he lifted his torso up and shook his head, all that had happened suddenly came back to him: the solo scouting mission, the antenna jammer, the bomb, Darth Zannah, Inanna… falling down from 20 stories hand in hand with his dark princess… the fight that ensued between them.

Last thing that he could recall was how he was trying to break her Force Grip on his neck and a horrible pain in the chest-

Alarmed-the monitoring equipment beeping alertly- he checked his body for any missing limbs or grave wounds. He sighed when there were none. That must have been something of the Force then.

He couldn't explain why he seemed weaker than he had been a few years ago. Back then, he could have held his own against master Windu, but now he had trouble dueling Sith Apprentices. He dared not think what may happen, should he meet Count Dooku, a sith lord. He needed answers on his condition. He needed to access the Grand Jedi Library back on Coruscant as soon as possible. Maybe someone would help him, someone he could definitely trust, like master Erladin. But he was just a jedi knight and valuable info was restricted to those with the rank of master. Perhaps master Kenobi would look into this matter if Nelo would finally choose his words carefully.

The Jedi Order was still shocked by the 20 highly valuable knights and masters-Dooku among them- that had abandoned it in the recent years. Not to talk about a significant number of failed padawans-exiles, stripped of the Force or sent to farm worlds. Some of those just melted into anonymity. Others turned to other factions, like the Hutt Syndicate or the Separatists. Those are the reasons why the Order regarded everyone with a careful eye, on the lookout for any dissidence or rebellion. The punishment for sedition was death or live imprisonment. Other laws that he knew dictated that the accused be stripped of the Force and exiled into neutral systems.

He shuddered at the thought. It wouldn't happen to him; he was too dedicated to the ideals of the jedi: justice, mercy, understanding, helping others, self-sacrifice.

Craig entered into the room, followed by a medical droid that started listing the diagnostic.

" Sir, you have suffered multiple small fractures in the arms and legs, your heart pressure and neuro-activity were strained sometime ago, but now they seem to have normalized.

Conclusion: you are able to walk, eat, drink and breath without restriction, but I forbid you from rejoining any hostilities for the next two weeks!" the droid stated planely.

Craig set his helmet on the table to the side and sat on one of the plasteel crates in there.

"It's not that bad, sir, considering everything!" he laughed slightly.

Nelo showed him the middle finger, rolling himself to the side of the bed and stretching carefully.

" Yeah, sure! I'll be back in a week or so!" he grinned. "You can't keep me cooped up in those monotonous hospitals or in that temple after all those weeks of house arrest!" he rotated his head and started flexing his shoulders.

Craig's smile, however, faded, being replaced by seriousness.

" Commander, by all means, respect the medical order! You looked like crap when our avant-garde recovered you from enemy ground."

" Wait! Tell me, how did you ever find me? I was pretty off the charts, after all."

" Heh, adrenaline must be playin' on your memory, sir! You activated your own retriever, the spare one. One of Shark's pilots saw you, made a touchdown and picked you up. When you were brought to us, your armor was shattered, fried and you looked half-dead."

Hivaarr contemplated those words as he made an effort to stand. His legs nearly failed him, but he pushed himself forward, one foot at a time. The droid offered to help, but he turned it down, sending him to care for those that really needed help.

After a few more minutes, in which Nelo reaccustomed himself with walking, Craig informed him that senator Bail Organa, as well as the remaining officials on Christophsis wanted a televised interview with him so as to show the Galaxy that the Republic and the Jedi Order are joining hands in helping the poor, the weak and the defenseless. The poor padawan asked for an hour of peace, at least. Other than that, some new clothes to cover the bandages and make him look presentable.

The time passed and Nelo, together with captain Craig, were brought to the base of one of the still standing skyscrapers. There, a camera team was prepared with the CPNN planetary network providing everything for a galaxy wide transmission. Not far from that very spot were the HQ of the Clone Army, as well as the refugee camps. What a strategic choice!

Four nobles, members of the government that had stayed, plus Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan, the commander of the planetary militias and three journalists.

Nothing too difficult…right?

The twi'lek journalist began her tirade:

" Hello everyone, and welcome to CPNN with your host Vaesy Tallia, broadcasting directly from the front lines, here at the outskirts of Christophsis's capital! Joining our previous discussion with our other guests tonight are Jedi Padawan and commander Nelo Hivaarr and clone captain XT1205, Craig, the Republic Army representatives here." She closed in on Nelo, practically shoving the microphone under his nose.

" Commander, allow me to thank you for your valiant efforts during the battle!" Senator Organa intervened, saving him from his public humiliation.

" Indeed, selfless jedi and brave warriors like you three here ( the noble pointed at the three military leaders) are what keeps the fire of our hopes for better times, for a good future!" another noble added.

" Commander..." the twi'lek tried to squeeze herself back in attention " would you please describe today's struggles? How was a young jedi- an apprentice…"

" Padawan!" Nelo corrected, looking her in the eyes.

"… padawan like you, appointed to lead a whole battle group and finally the entire force here?"

Nelo took a deep breath, but then scrunched his face in pain for a few moments. He still managed to answer.

" Normally, discussing was strategy and movement of troops is forbidden under martial law, so I will be short and direct: the fleet I was assigned to was close enough to provide support. After dispatching of an enemy reinforcement force, me and my company were sent to help the troops stationed here under master Kenobi and Knight Skywalker. We regrouped and repelled the attacks before launching a counteroffensive that ended up with the destruction of the main Separatist Army on Christophsis.

So as to answer your second question, my two jedi superiors were recalled to other, more sensitive fronts, while I was assigned here, with the peacekeeping and reconstruction efforts. Before you ask, I am qualified as such, despite my age!" he added with a slight smile and tinge of irony that left her fuming.

Craig chose this pause for his intervention.

" Good evening to you all! After the conclusion of the main engagement, the commander helped direct the search and rescue teams and the installment of temporary shelters for those that had lost their homes!"

Another one of the nobles- a secretary of state- raised himself and all cameras were on him in an instant.

" On behalf of our people, allow me to thank you for saving them! The camps are brimming with life, with hope, as more and more people are reunited with their loved ones! They may have lost their homes, but their lives will get a new beginning, thanks to all of you!" he sat down, bowing to the padawan and clone.

" Commander, are you feeling alright?"

Nelo shook his stray thoughts away and quickly answered.

"Yes, yes, it's just the fatigue catching up with me; no need to worry!"

The twi'lek had an unconvinced frown on her face, but she went on with her interviewing.

" Even so, you were not here to oversee the operation, commander! You yourself previously stated that you were qualified for this position, yet you let captain Craig in charge in your stead! This can be very confusing, but not surprising given how many young jedi like you…"

That did it! That cheeky reporter thought him to be an incompetent, a glory-hungring teen, a lucky bastard that neglected his duties! He, who faced death more often than missy here faced her caffa machine or her boss! Or a book on manners and diplomacy as well!

But she had the advantage of a camera, while he had the disadvantage of answering to many, many superiors.

" Excusie me _miss,_ but have you been listening properly to what I've been saying?" he threw her a very serious and unforgiving glare.

The twi'lek was surprised for a few seconds, but then huffed, meeting his glare and giving off an uneasy smile to the camera.

"I have! As a true impartial journalist, it is my duty, key to my job and status!" she boasted proudly.

Craig and senator Organa were silently warning Nelo not to exaggerate; not to exceed the limits of decency.

"While what you do is a _**job**_ , miss, what I have been doing for years is peacekeeping and conflict solving, countering evil and villainy like any fellow jedi is expected to! One cannot hope to keep the peace here if one annot be completely certain that the entire planet has escaped war. I do not endanger the lives of my subordinates needlessly when I can spare them the risks! On my next scouting mission you will be very welcome to see just how trechearous and violent war can be!" he raised his chin and eyebrows in challenge.

She backed down and managed to spew some sort of contextual, far fetched sort of apology, before going on with the rest of her questions.

 _ **Four days later, at the Jedi Temple**_ _._

In the chambers of the High Council, only a few masters were present: Shaak Ti, Ki Adi Mundi, Plo Koon, Mace Windu and Grandmaster Yoda. Obi Wan Kenobi, Saesee Tiin, Agen Kolar and Kit Fisto were present through holograms. Master Luminara could not be reached.

Before them stood jedi knight Krav Erladin, his face more than a bit sullen and disturbed as he awaited their answer.

" _I really don't know if I should praise him of curse him!"_ he covered his face in confusion and hopelessness.

" Who had the bright idea of authorizing journalists to the front lines?" asked master Obi Wan. " They're bad news if not kept in line!"

The other ones nodded in agreement.

" But that is beyond the point, I am afraid!" master Shaak Ti interjected, her voice sterner than usual. "Master Yoda brought us some very disturbing news about your padawan, Krav!" she looked at the zabrak knight with a mixture of sympathy and pity for his bad choice and bad luck for a disciple.

" He made contact with a sith entity he described as Darth Zannah, the one thousand year dead dark lady!" Erladin confirmed grimly.

The atmosphere was tense. No one dared say anything for a full two minutes, while they thought how to deal with this. It was outrageous, incredible, tragic, but above all, very, very dangerous. It was as if they had a ticking time bomb amidst them; risks unimaginable. And history proved that such events were catastrophal to the Order and the Republic.

They exchanged even more disturbed glances with each other. This was getting out of control. A padawan with that much power, who subconsciously uses dark-sided techniques without someone teaching him and was now speaking to long dead ancient terrors…preposterous. Outrageous. Overly perilous. Coruscant and the Temple may not be safe from such an influence…

" So what did he do? How did he react?" master Plo asked. He needed more details to come to a decision.

" As the vision brought him to Korriban, he was attacked by the native beasts. He also couldn't use the Force or draw any weapon. After a time and a few nigh hopeless battles, one of the beasts transformed itself into Darth Zannah, trying to tempt him to the Dark Side, which he refused. She then reacted violently and Nelo used the Jedi Code to chase away his vision, thus waking up…shaken!"

" I find it laudible that he managed to overcome this, but what worries me beyond anything else is the apparition!" Ki-Adi Mundi spoke.

" Not only that, but this child seems to be constantly tempted by the Dark Side, one way or another!" Shaak Ti noted. " We cannot let this continue. Nor can we use the collar again, for it will slowly destroy him and it has not worked so far!"

" We shouldn't act too rashly, why being unaware of all the details. We still do not know the cause of all this- of why he, of all jedi, is being faced with such challenges." Obi Wan provided, to which the others had to reluctantly agree. "We have to stand by our holy principles at any time, at any cost, not allow ourselves to become prey of our own fears and unrest!" he added.

" I propose we keep him under surveillance, until further notice!" Plo Koon proposed. The others nodded.

" Then assign him here, to Coruscanti Planetary Security, CORSEC. Have him close, but also giving him purpose while we come up with a solution!" Obi Wan concluded.

" Agreed!" (Plo Koon)

"Aye!" ( Kit Fisto)

" Neh!" (Windu)

" Neh!" (Shaak Ti)

"Neh!" (Saeesee Tiin)

" Agreed!" (Agen Kolar)

" Agree, I do! (Yoda)

" 5-3 simple majority. Motion passes! We will proceed then! Meeting adjourned!"

Nelo had found out about this decision and was a bit afraid of the consequences. His master had withheld the more grave sounding information from him, but nonetheless, the news didn't make him any happier.

Another jedi knight whom he could not remember took over his job one week after the Battle of Christophsis was concluded. A shuttle had taken him to Coruscant in two days time and he stood before the Council, that explained to him his new job.

He would work with master Tera Sinube, a very street smart old colesian jedi master whom Nelo remembered that he trained younglings and padawans but was actually their best detective and connoisseur of the capital planet's underlevels and crime rings. He would be aided by a number of clones of his choosing, while the rest of his battalion would be stationed here to complete the army troop rotation schedule.

Not too bad, considering everything else. He would get a full fledged laugh in the face from Anakin's obnoxious new padawan, whom he finally accepted. And that was the least of his worries.

Inanna…

He couldn't stop thinking about her. She could have kidnapped him, strangled him (which she did, but not to death), stab him in the heart or taken him to Count Dooku. However, the dark acolyte did no such thing. From what Craig told him, he deduced that it was her who activated the retrieval.

Those thoughts bothered him after the evening meal and to his room. His bed was as good as place as any to lie down and meditate on everything that had happened.

Was their repeated contact, their forbidden love that was causing all this? He didn't have any idea, but what he could surely tell was that they were meant for each other. That moment when they jumped out of the building and joined their hands and powers… it was painful, but they did it and became so much more for a minute there. A balance of the Force, almost, if not completely, unheard of.

One of them will have to finally cede and join the other, it would seem. It would either be him leaving the jedi or her leaving the sith and separatists. Neither of them was intent on doing that, which was problematic. Sometimes very so.

But that Sith Lord… where did she come from? He didn't have any contact with places bathed in the Dark Side, nor did he possess or come into contact with any such artifacts. So far as his knowledge went, the only other possibility was him having an ancestor related to Darth Zannah. He would ask his parents for any hints, without worrying them with such details and would search genealogical archives. He had to find an answer to his Force energy being so impeded by ever more uncontrollable factors.

 _Serenno, capital of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, four days after Inanna's successful retreat…_

" I see you've arrived, my pupil! I was worried that the Republic would box you in on the planet, but you rose up to the challenge! Congratulations!" he clapped his hands.

Inanna bowed her covered head, while the other three dark acolytes present sneered. The two Chiss, Vandalor and Sev'rance Tann, plus Assajj Ventress.

The first two were mad that Count Dooku would commend her for her minuscule success, while they managed to rout a whole Republic Fleet and kill the padawan of master Echuu Shen-Jon in the process. They only got a couple of nods and a rather pathetic "good work" out of him.

On the other side, Assajj Ventress had real reasons to be mad. She failed to keep Jabba the Hutt's son from Skywalker and his new pet togruta. That led to the Hutt Syndicate declaring open support for the Republic Army, allowing them to use that part of space for troop and supply movement to the Outer Rim and back. Unacceptable!

" My apprentices, we have to work harder and strike fear into the hearts of our enemies! I have a few plans in which each of you, with your individually special skills, would find a way to come on top and show the Republic that we do not make idle threats! Now go! You will receive your plans later!"

As they all left the meeting room, the sith lord put his hand on Inanna's shoulder, stopping her.

" Although your progress is remarkable, Inanna, I cannot help but notice that you are in an emotional distress as of late. Is there something I should know about?" he asked with a soft voice, almost as if he cared, which she knew for sure he didn't.

" Just my revolt at us losing ground against those pacifist hypocrites, master!" she sneered back, hoping to avoid his keen perception.

" True, true, we have had set-backs; all of us, even you!" he patted her shoulder. " Next time, make sure to bring back any padawans you capture. Especially those that appear on the news!" he smiled viciously at her, as she turned and watched him increduosly.

" W…what? How can you possibly mean…" she stammered, but he stopped her by gently taking her mask off and watching her yellow eyes intently.

" I KNOW you! Something in you changed ever since Geonosis! I couldn't put my finger on it, but now, with the footage that my one surviving commando droid sent me…" he trailed off, moving his thumb over her cheek… " I know for sure that you have taken an interest in a little special someone. Nelo Hivaarr!" he raised his voice and showed her the pictures in succession.

For the first time in a while, Inanna felt true fear striking at her heart and soul.

" Love!" he almost spit the word out. "Is a double edged sword, one used in the past to turn sith into jedi and jedi into sith- it goes two ways. Now, I will forgive this indiscretion and allow you to carry on, but remember this: either you bring him to our side and I will allow this…sentimentalism between you, as long as you two would be still useful to me, or…" he trailed off, lifting the datapad with Nelo's shaken body and her hovering over him with her face inches away from his…." He will die! A padawan that powerful cannot hinder our plans and should you ever do so, well, I like you, but you are not completely irreplaceable, Inanna!" he went silent, letting the words sink in.

It hurt. She was afraid for the both of them. Yet… now that she thought about it, it could work. IF she manages to convince him, to show him that the Jedi disrespect him and his efforts and fear his powers, she will have him next to her, after all this time. No more stupid feuds with stupid fellow acolytes. With him, she would be next to invincible, as the union of their powers showed her.

She bowed down and left, having to think about a plan, despite a part of her uselessly shouting warnings.

 _ **Author's note:**_

 _ **Credits where they are due: LucasArts and Voicians.**_

 _ **Thanks for the reviews. The roles that they will play will be revealed, there is more at stake in this war than all the sides realize, as old ancient enemies are not far away.**_

 _ **As always, any suggestion or advice is much appreciated!**_

 _Bye!_


	22. CH23: Dark Side of the Jewel

**CH 23:** _ **Dark Side of the Jewel**_

 **[Song suggestion: Phantasm Theme (Nightcrawler Remix)]**

Nelo Hivaarr ducked beneath a stak of metal crates.

Before him on that dirty, narrow, barely lit street, were five half drunken gangsters, three weequays, a rodian and a human. Cornered by the group was a 12-13 year old twi'lek girl with yellow skin, dressed in a dirty robe and clutching her backpack as if her life depended on it.

Sadly, a regular sight for the city-planet of Coruscant, also called _" The Jewel of the Republic"_.

In the two weeks he had been working with CorSec and jedi master Sinube, he had learned a lot, not all of it being easy to take in.

In the underbellies of the highest and most pristine skyscrapers, at which every newcomer with gasp in awe, lived millions, hundreds of millions of poor people, struggling to make ends meet. Beggars, refugees, prostitutes, pimps, drug dealers, slave dealers, weapons dealers, outlaws and criminals of every possible kind preying on those unable to protect themselves.

The areas he was assigned to are so dangerous, that CorSec never sends in droid patrols, for they have proven to be innefective, highly visible and easily destroyed. And those droids were not free. So the ressources had to be redirected. Contracting jedi was the best alternative they could find. Thus they paired them with expert troopers and sent them out on a daily basis, hoping for the best.

…

Two of the weequays grinned as they aimed their knives at her. The rodian snatched her left hand, while the other two started unbuckling their belts.

Nelo wouldn't stand by. He used his in-helmet camera to capture the scene before him, then he set his DL-44 blaster and lightsaber to stun mode. Using Force Speed, he pounced on the group.

Three kicks, one uppercut, followed by the firing of four stun shots. The last one, the human, however, was fast enough to grab the poor girl by the neck and hold her at gunpoint.

" Damned cop! Ruining our goodtime like this!" he spat on a grunted voice. "You take another step and she gets it! Walk away and after I've had my go with her, you can to, later…hehehe!" he laughed at his perverse joke.

Nelo raised his hands, dropped his weapons on the ground, much to the villain's satisfaction, then turned around and made to leave.

Just as the human scum lowered his guard for a second to forcefully kiss the girl, the padawan extended his hand and something lifted the human in the air, choking his windpipe slowly but surely.

Terrified, the scum dropped the gun and the girl. He clawed with both hands at the invisible thing that was squeezing his air out. His eyes ended up on the jedi cop and his mask, before passing out from the pressure.

Hivaarr then went on to tie all five together with four layers of steelrope, before placing a beacon tag on them. Standard procedure. The authorities will be there to pick the trash up. The video feed he took needed to be reviewed tomorrow for their trial.

Turning his eyes sight back to the street, he noticed that the girl had fallen to the ground, still clutching her purse- now her belly as well. She was in shock, mortified by what had (almost) happened to her. He took small steps in her direction, but she only backed away, dragging herself to the wall behind. Those brown, big, teary eyes were looking at him as if he was a criminal as well.

When there was only a meter between them, Nelo extended his hand, but the twi'lek closed her eyes and desperately turned away, shaking.

" NO! Do what you want, but leave the purse! Please…!" her quiet imploring broke through the sobs.

After making sure that no one was around, Nelo took off his helmet and knelt before the girl, hands out and empty, in a gesture of peace.

" It's going to be fine; I took care of them!" when she didn't turn around, he added. "I am a jedi and have come to protect you and all those like you from harm!" As proof, he activated his lightsaber.

The girl did sneak a glance at him. His words could be all lies. Everyone had taught her not to trust strangers, nerver ever. But when she heard the snap-hiss and saw the beautiful golden lgith shining in the cold, dirty, smelly street in stark contrast, hope blossomed in her heart once more.

He extinguished it and looked at her with a friendly gaze.

" If you have any family or friends to go to, I'll escort you there!" he said, extending his right hand.

" Mommy, Shalla…" she muttered, thinking out loud.

" I'll help you get back to them safely! That I swear!"

" You lie! Like all of them! You just want to rob and hurt me!"

" Force no! Look, I'll give you my pistol and if I try to rob you, you shoot me, ok?" he countered, as he handed her the- set on stun- blaster.

Dumbfounded as she was by the gesture, her hands took hold of the heavy weapon and aimed it at him with some effort, then at the fie outlaws and at him again.

" So… lead the way?" Hivaarr broke the silence.

" Ok!" the kid answered still skepticly.

Nelo put on his helmet and had her lead the way through the labyrinth of plasteel and metal shacks that littered all the place, keeping an eye out for anything too out of the ordinary. A city of lost chances and hopes long dead. Everywhere he looked, poor sad, disillusioned faces met his gaze. He was an outsider to them, an intruder, one who couldn't make things better for them. He'd have to change that!

An hour after the incident, they finally reached an abandoned looking house, with holes in the walls for windows and a metal door that was brown from all the rust on it. The girl knocked in what seemed like a code and, with a creak, it opened and they stepped in.

It was pitch dark until someone lit a small lamp, revealing five malnourished twi'leks, two laying on beds of rags, three others sitting next to the door.

One of the laying ones stood up with great effort. The girl rushed to help her up.

" Sorry sweetie, but mommy's so hungry, she can't stand up!" a raspy voice spoke with difficulty.

" Mommy, please! I've got something from that cantina. Leftovers, but they looked ok to me!" she said as she revealed a pack of half-moldy bread, some sort of meats with bones, overreaped vegetables and two bottles of water. "You'll get better, I promise!" she insisted, helping her take small gulps of water. It did her some good, but not enough it seemed. A bit stronger and focused now, she noticed the intruder.

" We have no ransom money for you, bounty hunter!" she reacted protectively. It took her a minutes of further focusing to recognize the lightsaber cylinder hanging out from his side belt. "A jedi?" she asked increduosly. " So your kind finally remembered that we still breathe, huh?" she added after a cough.

Then, she gestured around the room with her hand.

" For generations, you have been taking care of those shiny upper levels; money comes from the rich right? All the stories about you, about brave knights fighting evil at every stop…please, don't get me started!

Oh, and every now and then, one of you comes down here to take out some important target and that's it! YOU DON't CARE ABOUT US AT ALL!" she spat on his armor, before falling back and coughing even more.

Some might have felt insulted, angry, but Nelo was outright shellshocked. All of this taken together, on a scale of millions, billions even…

One can certainly feel powerless in front of such a gigantic, humanitarian crisis. He simply didn't have the means to save them all, as much as he wanted.

In some aspects, the Republic was on par with the Hutt Space. Practical, out-of-need slavery versus outright, public slavery. Only difference lay in the official papers. There were just as many chances of escaping a Hutt as in making a decent life out of the nothingness outside this house.

Force, and he directed those refugees from Tatooine right here…

He fell to his knees, dropping his lightsaber and helmet. His eyes looked down on all of them, poor, hungry, unlucky beings scraping junk to live another day. Tears started forming up; later, they fell down his cheeks, wetting the dusty floor. Jedi didn't usually cry, but when they did, it was like a floodgate being opened to let bottled up emotions loose. Everything he had seen until now and had been tucked away in a part of his brain, regarding it as the tragic reality that he alone couldn't tackle. It wasn't fair; at all!

The others were silent, of course. No words were needed, since the harsh truth had just been spoken. He was just as surprised when the twi'lek girl hugged him and said:

" You saved me, mister jedi and my mommy and my stepbrothers will live now! Don't cry!"

" Yeah, don't cry, because we are just one case! You should be doing something, instead of being a baby!" one of the older boys shouted, while clenching his fists in desperation.

" Dear, if you do all that you can- and I mean ALL- then it's enough for us!" the mother added, before falling back on the makeshift bed and coughing.

The girl and two of the boys hurried up and went on to hold her up and close to them, while she was speaking words of comfort in huttese.

After recovering from his emotional distress, Nelo approached, knelt next to the unlucky mother and put his hands on her belly and forehead. Even though she flinched at first, he kept on channeling his powers into a healing wave that spread to her weakened veins, organs, skin, cleansing them of whatever viruses, diseases and impurities he was able to.

After half an hour, her coughs, her convulsions stopped. What's more, colour returned to her skin and she was able to get up on her own, taking a few timid steps to reacommodate.

"…Incredible…!" she whispered, looking at the children in her care- her children now. Then her eyes travelled to the young human jedi that was catching his breath after the effort. A miracle had happened here.

" Can you…" she was afraid of looking ungrateful. " Can you cure my children as well?" she asked with a low, but hopeful tone.

The padawan sat in the middle of the room and started meditating for little more than ten minutes, centering himself and letting the Force flow through him, act through him, begging it to give him the power to help these unfortunate souls

The twi'lek children watched in awe as all the beds of rags started floating around him, mixing themselves and forming a semblance of a comfy matress, which was then lowered down in front of him. Taking another breath, Hivaarr opened his glowing purple eyes and beckoned the first to lay down.

He wasn't an expert at healing, but he more than grasped the basics.

The children, one by one, felt like a boulder was lifted off of their shoulders and as if a dirty smear was cleaned off of their bodies as a whole. Confused, they looked at themselves. They felt… so alive! For once in a while, they wanted to go outside and play and ignore the bad reality that was the Coruscanti Underground.

" I hope you can resist on one hundred credits. I'd give you more, but others might also need it!" he addressed the mother, as he dropped five silver chits in her hand.

Dumbfounded, the woman who just shamed him, his Order, his efforts, looked at the generous gift. With it, they wouldn't worry about food for at least six weeks and still eat well enough. Her gaze returned to the jedi, who took it as his cue to speak more:

" You taught me a lesson in humility, in realism, on how one, how I should act! I thank you for it!" he bowed slightly, then put on his helmet and took his weapons in his hands, heading out.

When he reached the doorstep, he was stoppd by the 12 year old girl, who embraced him from behind and bid him farewell on a sad tone. He really made an impression on all of them.

That was the first of many small, good deeds that Nelo had done in the Coruscant Underbelly. Between arresting or ending villains, he spared whatever he could in order to give victims or the poorest around another chance. Credits, ration cards, ration packs, healing, medicine, clothes. One by one, family by family, the common people started whispering between themselves about their guardian angel, the one with a golden heart and a just judgement.

However, the criminal rings were worried about their " lucrative businesses" getting stomped on. The robberies, the slavery, trafficying, extortion, spice-dealing started taking significant hits because of those CorSec meddling bastards.

After some spies and informants got some pictures of him, the two most important crime-syndicates, _Claw_ and the _Knife-edges_ , began spreading them to the various mercenary dens, beckoning the braver ones to end the menace and earn themselves a tidy sum of 100.000 credits. For taking the body to any Separatist representative, another 200.000 credits awaited- the official bounty for padawans.

The temptation was too powerful to resist, even for those that were aware of what jedi could do. As a result, the number of times Nelo had nearly died increased tenfold. The Force, however, was on his side. Poisoned drinks and food, hidden bombs, malfunctioning lifts falling into the abyss below, crooks waiting in alleys; even snipers had a bone to pick with him.

Problematic as it was, the collateral damage worried him more than his own health should have. Since the beginning of the assassination attempts, more than thirty CorSec clones had lost their lives, while numerous others were injured. On the civilian side, sadly, the number was higher. Those criminals really had no consideration whatsoever for those that were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. Be it men, woment, children, old people, defenseless people, the blast radius of a nail bomb, a gas bomb or an acid spill didn't discriminate.

On the other hand, this served as evidence of the criminal rings' disperation at their dealings getting stopped, one by one, day by day, square meter by square meter.

The Jedi Council acknowledged padawan Hivaar's decisive role in this endeavor. The progress was so visible, that they even assigned another two jedi knights with three extra riot police clone squads to this underground front. The fighting soon escalated into open street war. Gangs that were at each other's throats one month before banded together against the police and organized hit and run attacks.

…

" Toxic gas! Masks on!" shouted commander Hivaarr to his squad. " Shields up! They are firing at us!"

The riot police was pinned down in one alley by a group of more than one hundred goons of all species that fired from windows, roofs, sewers, from behind garbage cans, cars…

A frag grenade flew at his men, but Nelo's reflexes kicked in and he used the Force to throw it back at the tightly packed villains ahead of him. The explosion cleared that area, enough for the soldiers to concentrate their fire on the roofs and windows…

… two hours of guerilla fights later, three large, populous neighborhoods had been liberated. Atlhough wary at first, the population welcomed them eventually. The huge crates filled with food, medicine, clothes and other necessities that Hivaarr had ordered certainly helped. It was often that the now grateful citzens pointed them to the hideouts of the runaway criminals, helping to round up dangerous crooks that would have otherwise preyed upon them later on. Arrests ensued.

One day, as he and four other clones were patrolling one of the freed zones, Hivaarr was met by the twi'lek girl that had opened his eyes to the drama here. She was definitely better off now, no longer starving and wearing some decent clothes for a change. She ran at him- jumped him, actually- and embraced him fiercely.

" Sir, shall we peel her off of you?" one clone laughed at the sight.

" Nah! Leave him with the groupies! It's good for the P.R. and he deserves them!" another answered snickering.

They let him alone and went on with their mission. The human and the twi'lek sat down on the now cleaner, better illuminated street. No words were spoken for the first minutes. This type of silence, it resembled peace; the environment spoke volumes of how radical a change all of it has been.

" I never got your name, mister! The people here call you ' _ **Golden Angel'**_!" she spoke excited.

" Hahaha, I'm not an angel, little one!" at her pout he added quickly " But I try to act like one!" he smiled, which lifted her spirits. " My name is Nelo Hivaarr!"

What followed was a dinner at their place, which he couldn't refuse. It would offend them. The shack had been renovated enough to give it a bearable look, thus making it suitable for someone to call it home. The walls had been painted in a blue and green combination, second hand, but complete sets of furniture had been brought in, with a big, three persons bed at the back of the room. Four light bulbs gave a warm, welcoming orange light.

Appearently, the mother, Shalla Shaati, had found a job at the CorSec aid distribution center. With her knowing her way around, as well as the common language and huttese and having the trust of the locals, it made her perfect for that spot, thus smoothing the transition of power.

This time, when Nelo looked around the room from his seat at the table, the atmosphere, the looks, all were friendly, thankful.

As he finished his bowl of soup, one of the boys asked him:

" Will you always watch over us, Golden Angel?" one boy asked.

" Yes, pada-…pada…Hivaarr, would you keep us all safe?" another followed.

He wiped his mouth clean and downed the glass of water. He looked at them sincerely and answered.

" I promise to try my best! But the Council, my bosses, might sent me to the fronts again. To save others elsewhere; to save lives, nonetheless!"

It was a bit of a disappointment for them all. The question remained: Would CorSec press on with the cleaning of the Underlevels? Or will they fall back into complacency?

He couldn't help but shudder at the last thought. The rest of the evening was enjoyable, with him telling stories of his adventures and misadventures.

" So…" the girl began, right before he decided to leave. " Is there a girl in your life, Golden Angel?"

He nearly fell off his chair after hearing that. The family laughed, but nonetheless looked at him, expecting an answer.

Seeing as the children were making puppy eyes at him, he carefully formed his answers. In fact, remotely telling the secret without giving away anything too sensitive could lift a weight off of his shoulders.

" There is one! A very beautiful, smart human girl, same age as me, with smoth, olive skin, stunning green eyes- sometimes golden-, a long black hair, flowing down her back… she is quite the opposite of me; rather, a dark, evil angel!"

The children gasped, while their mother looked up with interest… and worry.

" But why do you love her if she is evil?" the girl asked.

" Sometimes, I too ask myself that!" he laughed. " You see, she is a victim like you, but one that walks the path of revenge. She drowns in hate, in sadness, bitterness and that is why she is so cruel to most. However, I seem to be saving her from herself! She seems so peaceful when we are alone and together!" he added with a longing sigh, her smiling figure appearing before his eyes.

" Ooooo, how romantic! Mommy, it's just like in those fairytales you read to us!" she enthusiastically called, gazing between her, her siblings and their hero.

" The one with the shining knight and the princess held captive?" one of the boys joined in, matching his sister's merry face.

" Yes… but she herself made that cage. I believe it was to protect…and now to hurt. But hope never dies, even in the darkest of days!"

He left each of them twenty credits as a parting gifts, before leaving for the Temple. During the storytelling, his datapad had beeped repeatedly. He fished it out of his armor's inner compartiment, inputed the password and read the message.

An attack on master Plo Koon's fleet turned the Republic's attention on the evasive ship " Malevolance" , a droid superbattlecruiser that was capable of shortcircuiting a whole fleet all by itself, leaving their forces dead in space and vulnerable. All available forces have been called back to Coruscant to plan a quick strike on it. Jedi Commanders and flight wings especially.

He just hoped that his skills as a pilot haven't rusted away.

 **Author's note:**

 _ **Many thanks to Cute Gallifreyan for the continuous reviewing of the story.**_

 _ **And to you all, dear readers!**_

 _ **It's exams time, so updating will slow down, but will happen, eventually.**_

 _ **Please leave your suggestions and improvements in the**_ _ **review**_ _ **section or send them to me via PM.**_

 _ **Credits to:**_

 _ **LucasArts for Star Wars**_

 _ **Nightcrawler for the music piece.**_

 **Until next time!**


	23. Ch24: Her Shadow over Ryloth-1

**Ch 24:** _ **Her Shadow over Ryloth-part1**_

 **[song suggestion: Adrian von Ziegler:** _ **Path to Darkness**_ **]**

Inanna admitted to herself that she had been afraid, both for her and for Nelo, but it seemed like her master was also noticing his potential- their potential.

In the following days, her training regimen increased drastically.

Four lightsaber droids would come at her simultaneously.

Long acrobatic jumps over ravines and in and out of buildings.

Blaster deflection while in air, on a moving vehicle, ship or otherwise.

Force channeling. He wanted her Force Push to be able to crack bones, not just knock people down. Evidently, every time she failed, a 'just' punishment would follow, be it lightning, Force Grip or a battalion of droids firing stinging stun shots at her all at once.

She did wonder at times if the others were as lucky as her…probably not. Still, she didn't complain.

Inanna felt her increase in power. The currents of the Force were easier to predict; her sentiments could more often translate into raw energy, her mind remaining on the objective despite distractions.

Dark Rage…

That power was something her master either couldn't (or didn't choose to-) wield. The demand, the strain or- more importantly- the restraint needed to use it…

Summoning it was easy enough. One does that through amplifying their hatred at the opponent, the place, the world, the past, anything. Then the thoughts are used to feed that sentiment, olding it into an aura, a cloak of sorts. The Dark Side, having been baited out, does the rest. Increased protection, increased strength, speed, agility. But…

The Dark Side has a mind of its own. More importantly, a _hunger._

Surrendering to it completely would bring upon your damnation. Your lack of concentration, of control…that kills you. It is akin to a deadly beast that, once unshackled, wreaks havoc on everyone and anything around, even its master. So, a long, strong, firm chain is imperious.

Another drawback was the inability to successfully cast other powers, dark or neutral. Jumps, pushes, throws, yes; Ligthning, Grip, Terror, Stun and others were restricted. Force Drain, she didn't try in that stage.

" Is it worth it?" she once asked herself.

The answer was obvious: YES.

It compelled her to improve her own entire being, to hone her body, mind, soul and have them work in unison in order to brave the currents of the Force.

That thought passed through her mind several times during her exercises. It was akin to a mantra that she sang to herself everytime she came across hardships. The memory of her time as a weak person was motivation enough.

She dodged another swipe of the vibrosword wielding droid, before ducking and planting a Force Kick in its middle section. The shock sent the machine staggering, enough for her to obliterate it with Force Lightning.

Not strong enough to fight Jedi Masters.

Ventress, that bald, dathomirian witch was utterly humiliated by Grandmaster Yoda. And she'd had an army behind her! The incompetent slut!

Granted, that weakling was one she could easily wipe the floor with, if she put her mind and soul to it. But still, the uncertainty about her powers' extent remained.

Four commando droids jumped at her from the nearby rooftops. From reflex, she somersaulted and cut a wide arc at where she'd been a second ago. Two enemies fell to her blade, while the other two threw grenades at her, then took up blasters.

Thinking quickly, Inanna pushed the grenades back.

Moments later, she threw her lightsaber at the stunned droids, slicing both in half at their torso.

…

And on and on and on, throughout various environments, planet types, mountain, ice, desert, cityscape, complete darkness or blinding light or even zero gravity.

Count Dooku demanded excellence. Not perfection, but excellence. She really couldn't tell the difference there.

Moreso than what he put his other lackeys, including general Grievous, to.

Now the said general was using that new toy of his, _"The Malevolance"_ to crush the Republic's overstretched fleets in the Outer Rim. That gigantic E.M.P. Field that the portside cannon emanated knocked out any machine in its path, leaving the prey at the mercy of the predator.

Once, she even got to interrogate Vice Admiral Kriviur, one of the good prizes of the General's battles. The 45 year old blonde, strong built, resilient, loyal officer wouldn't divulge any secrets to the droids tasked with getting them out of him. However, she knew ways around that.

After three days of hunger and thirst, plus being handcuffed 24h/day in utter darkness and silence softened him up enough for Inanna to use the Force to implant nightmares, illusions, fears.

The effect was, that on the eighth day since his capture, the Vice Admiral spilled the beans. It was easy for her to navigate around his mental barriers and compel him to answer all her questions.

In the end, she drained his life to the very last drop. It wasn't much eft anyway and it seemed more like a mercy. And a test from the Count on top of that, to prove that she hadn't gone soft.

" _HA! What a foolish thought!"_

One day, she was sent for by her master.

" I've noticed your improvement! You have not lost your edge; if anything, you've sharpened it.

But it is now time for you to rejoin our front. Ventress's failure means that Toydaria has become a critical supply link to the Republic forces nearing our worlds!"Count Dooku spoke as he activated the Holomap, the said planet being coloured green.

" I would gladly bring them back to the fold, hahahaha!" she spoke maliciously, her eyes glinting in anticipation.

Count Dooku smiled in turn at her enthusiasm. She truly was like the adopted granddaughter he thought her as. If only she was more determined, more bent on being a sith, than on keeping away from that past of hers. Fear of those memories, useful as it may prove at times, was debilitating her. What Inanna had been subjected to seems to have made her sensible to the plight of those in similar situations. A seed of mercy. Not of cool calculation, but a trace of the lightside. That and the strange love she professes to that even stranger padawan. He already had his spies working on digging details about him, about his powers, character, behavior, everything. Even though his master, Darth Sidious, restricted his interest in the supposed Chosen One, Anakin Skywalker, Dooku worked on his own sect of sith warriors. Perhaps a different type of sith. Inanna was by far the most promising. If this love interest of hers would be recruited, it would be a great asset. But working behind his master's back like that… dangerous business. He was aware of the Rule of Two; he was aware that he was never safe from his master and viceversa. So he would have his dark acolytes as insurance policies against any possible plots.

After the long pause was gone, he went on:

" I admire your courage and eagerness, but Toydaria is not the most important objective for us now!" pressing a few buttons, the Sith Lord showed her a giant dustbowl of a planet.

" Ryloth. Home of the twi'leks and key player in the Republic's war effort. Acquiring it to our cause would help us tremendously." He turned to his apprentice, eyes boring into her own golden ones. " Do you feel up to the challenge?"

" Hmmm? Do you even have to ask, my master?" the half mask was hiding a grin, but her eyes spoke of it.

He matched it with an even more vicious one, while changing the hologram to show a Nikto jedi commanding the Republic garrison in the capital city of Ryloth.

" Jedi Master Ima Gun Di, sent there with a large contigent of troops and a fleet. Fortunately, Wat Tambor managed to piece together an even larger assault army, but we need you ahead of the troops to sabotage the defenses and execute the planetary command. Any governor, senator or administrator you find. Avoid the jedi if he proves too strong, but I expect you to rise to the challenge. It would please me enormously to see you succeed in such a duel!

Without their leaders, cities and weapons, the twi'leks won't be able to resist us. But remember this: they are more useful to us alive than dead. Wat Tambor can be overly greedy and zealous at times; he lacks measure and a cool head too often. But he is head of the Techno Union, so he is valuable to us. He is to listen to you, remind him, if needed!

Now go, Inanna Shapish, and make me proud!"

" I will be successful!" she bowed and left to prepare herself for the journey.

Six hours later, she was aboard the battlecruiser given to her.

The ship soon launched into hyperspace, an estimated one day to Ryloth. Enough time for her to analyze the whole situation, the targets, the terrain and meditate on a sound plan.

The Jedi Master Ima Gun Di just finished his holocall to the Jedi High Council. He had explained his current need for extra troops and supplies, but a mysterious Separatist weapon was systematically wiping out parts of their Outer Rim Fleet. He was promised help as soon as that matter would be taken care of.

In the meantime, he had forged an alliance with former royal guard member turned rebel Cham Syndulla. His popularity, coupled with his many stashes f weapons and bunkers and hideouts scattered all over the planet were an asset to the local garrison and his clone army.

In the orbit, three battlecruisers were holding the line against the Separatist onslaught. All of their escort ships have been destroyed and the Republic Admiral had a hard time limiting the droid forces breaking through and landing on the surface.

Ryloth's only remaining antiair cannons were located near the capital, so that area was off limits to the invadors, thankfully. But, the countryside… an ever growing influx of refugees was gathering around the city's walls, as wekk as around the ravine.

He did not like this!

It was extremely dangerous for them to stand there out in the open like that, because if the battle would come too close, they wil be caught in the middle and lives would be lost.

Master Ima Gun Di banished that thought, then joined his padawan, a red skinned twi'lek named Kus Koondi. Despite his young age – 19 years—he had trained him well. He would have none other at his side in such dire times.

A squadron of vulture droids approached the city. The jedi master ordered the turrets to fire and his padawan to scramble the response air team.

A meager six X-Wings ascended in the next five minutes. Not quick enough, because the droids were already firing on the walls. Collateral damage included the refugee tents outside. People got crushed or shot or bled to death because of all the shrapnel and debris.

He ordered a few soldiers to open the gates and guide the frightened people inside and into anything that resembled an air shelter. Packed as they were, it was better than nothing.

Their lack of attention was to be their undoing, because shielded with the help of the Force, as well as a stealth belt and sound dampening unit, a certain dark acolyte sneaked into the control room, where four twi'leks, two clone engineers and two clone troopers found themselves. Easy prey!

At a flick of her wrists, the two soldiers were lifted in the air by their throats.

" Chav, you better aim those turrets at that squadron NW of here!" one ordered.

" Keep your pants on, I'm on it!"

" Hey, where are the other two bozos?" a technician asked around.

" Figures they'd be slacking! I'll be having a word with their captain!" a twi'lek answered.

They were all suddenly pulled from their chairs and thrown to the floor. A red lightsaber materialized, along with the black robes of a mysterious figure. An assassin. A sith!

She moved too fast for them. Before anyone could call for help, they were mercilessly cut down.

Without any trace of remorse, Inanna moved on. She took a seat at one of the consoles that had been logged in. Full access to the cannons for her. She changed the protocol of the A.I., effectively labeling Republic Forces as enemy forces.

And the effect was devastating!

Kus Koondi had quite the kill score and with the city's turrets covering their exposed flanks, his squadron managed to tackle each attack wave that reached them.

At one point, however, the strategy backfired horribly. The defense system started targeting them. A malfunction? Foul play? He had to land a.s.a.p., else he'd be shot down. His jedi instincts helped him evade the lasers, but all other friendlies were killed. Even he lost one wing just as he was about to land. Luckily, he ejected from the ship before it crashed into the tall city wall.

From the rampart, he could see a shadowy figure leaving the turret control room. The sight sent chills down his neck. He had ever felt such a strong Force presence since he'd joined the Order. What was THAT?

Master Ima Gun Di had seen the unthinkable. A traitor or a saboteour just destroyed ther aerial defenses. Vulture droids were already bombing the military objectives and the troops, hindered only by stray shots or the occasional rocket launcher that wasn't nearly enough to stop them.

Then the screams got louder. Explosions, buildings shuddering and shattering. A tower collapsed on a group of unlucky clones and twi'leks. Another tower fell on a tank, crushing it. People running everywhere and nowhere.

They were sitting ducks out there… he had to order an evacuation before it was too late.

" Attention Ryloth Defenders and Citzens! We lost the skies and have to evacuate before we are overrun!" he spoke via hologram, before talking to Cham Syndulla, who was coordinating the countryside operations.

" What is it, master jedi?" he asked a little annoyed.

" The Separatists have taken the skies and they destroyed the turrets! I won't risk live to bombardments needlessly! Please, point us to the best routes to safety!" the jedi implored.

After a long sigh and a couple of courses and his lekku changing colour rapidly, Syndulla sent the info via encrypted voice call for his captains in the jedi's ranks to decipher.

Meanwhile, master Gun Di turned to the door. Moments later, it was shattered and his padawan was thrown in, all battered and bruised.

He too had felt the shivers; a warning from the Force.

This was no ordinary foe, but a dangerous sith.

" No wonder you are losing this war! You jedi are weaker than rag dolls!" her low, insidious, slightly amused voice made itself heard in the ominous silence.

The dust settled, revealing a figure dressed in night-black robes, a lightsaber hilt in hand. A snap hiss and a red beam emerged, his suspicion confirmed.

" Begone, spawn of Darkness! You sith criminals will face justice for what you've done!" Ima Gun Di replied as he himself activated his weapon.

Azure blue crashed into red, successive clashes ensueing. He preffered Soresu and a bit of Makashi to compensate its shortcomings. This sith in front of him, however, seemed like a master of Makashi, her level comparable to that of master Shaak Ti.

He planted his leg into her chest, sending her flying straight into a wall. At the last moment, she turned, landing on her feet, which she pushed in all her nimbleness and launched herself back against him. He almost missed the ball of lightning forming in her left hand.

It was too fast to avoid, but then his padawan struck his lightsaber at her energy attack, blocking it. Thus the two jedi were able to repeal her.

" Two against one? There's no chivalry here, pity!" she played the victim.

" Ha! As if you care about honour, chivalry or any value in life!" Koondi shouted in defiance, his hands gripping the hilt of his green lightsaber.

Appaled, the sith took a step back and bowed in mockery.

" You'd be surprised!" she broke into a Force induced run at him, aiming for his midsection.

He blocked at the last minute, but Inanna spun around and hit him across his face with her right bootheel. A broken nose bled all over the floor as he was sen flying down. She swore she'd seen a few teeth as well.

Ima Gun Di jumped at her, a flurry of attacks sending her back in a defensive posture. Her Force was still gathering for an all out burst, so she had to be patient and build it up. The padawan too joined in, even managing to scrape her right shoulder.

With a hiss, she darted to the left, clashed swords with him, then landed a powerful kick in his left right side; the sound of crushed ribs being a song to her ears.

With no remorse, she grabbed both his lekku swiftly and cut them right off.

Seeing as that region of the body was where half their brain and all pain receptors were situated, he was turned into a vegetable. His ear piercing screams horrified his master.

Ima Gun Di stared in shock at the cruelty of the sith. Koonda's screams were excruciating, until a strange silence befell the now brain-dead twi'lek.

The sith had put her hand on the boy's neck. What followed was even more disturbing. Force Drain, powerful enough that it snuffed out the life that was left in him in less than a minute. His padawan's body looked dry, wrinkled, old when she was finished.

Master Gun Di felt useless. He couldn't protect the city, its denizens, his troops and now his padawan from the Separatists and this… this monster here.

The said monster rose and turned his predator gaze to him and chuckled.

 _ **[to be continued]**_

 _ **Author's Note:**_

 _ **(Credits where there are due; don't own anything here**_ _ **)**_

 _ **Hello my friends! Due to the length of the original chapter, I've decided to cut it in two and upload the pieces separately. That means that**_ _ **if you want to**_ _ **, you can still**_ _ **decide the outcome**_ _ **of the next chapter or at least influence it.**_

 _ **Leave a**_ _ **review**_ _ **with your suggestions if you so wish!**_

 _ **May za Force be with you!**_


	24. CH25: Her Shadow Over Ryloth- part 2

**Ch25: Her Shadow over Ryloth- part 2**

The city was being pummeled by the droid army, while the clones and twi'leks tried their best to fight back and allow civilians and their own army's retreat. Walls and towers were crumbling, while enemy drop pods would fall in and around the capital, their passagers emerging from their slots and shooting at everything that moved.

But none of that mattered in the command centre located in the highest tower. There, master Ima Gun Di closed his eyes in silent respect for his padawan and his courage in the face of death. He would be one with the Force, forever away from all the suffering that unfolded here and in the Galaxy as a whole.

Opening them again, his resolve strengthened. His voice was icy and accusing.

"You would sacrifice innocents, you would destroy cities, villages, houses, communities, everything! For millennia, your so called _Order_ wiped out planets and populations by the hundreds. A plague, a disease, a black hole, that's what you all are!"

She didn't answer immediately. Instead, she looked deep into his eyes, blue veins showing up all over her face. The golden orbs shone like never before.

So, besides Count Dooku and his unknown master, there was another sith. Ventress was nothing like this. How could they have overlooked her?

" Has it ever occurred to you, jedi, that your time may be over?" she began to slowly circle him.

He stood at the ready, his azure lightsaber positioned in Soresu. He only had one friend, one ally right now: the Force. He was in its hands; he would do whatever it commanded of him.

"For generations, you failed in your mission; for generations, you hunted down all those Force users that disagreed with you. Whoever you deemed as heretical was killed without mercy- and you call yourself mercilful and compassionate!" she spat. " I know my sith history and how in the Great Schisms and following that, the Great Hyperspace War thousands of years ago, you commited genocide against us, all in the name of _peace_! You used nuclear weapons on Korriban, turning it into a graveyard! You extended the yoke of that corrupt Republic over every planet that couldn't defend itself, be it through war or economic suffocation.

And now, the same Republic is waging war against us, calling us _**Separatists**_ for simply wanting out of it!" she hissed those words like an angered predator.

" And that is why…" she started her lightsaber. " I am going to cleanse you all from the face of the Galaxy!" a red aura was gathering around her, mingling with her own until they were one and only. Right then, her eyes took a red hue and he knew.

This was by all means a sith lady through and through.

He barely had time to react. Her strike was so powerful, that his weapon was almost wrested out of his hands. Her next strike was followed by an uppercut that painfully landed in his chin.

With a spin, master Gun Di stretched out his hands, all his efforts in Force Pushing the sith into a wall, witch cracked from the impact, but that didn't deter her for long.

She too sent a giant Force Push, that he countered with one of his own. The energy discharge was so powerful, that the windows and the ceiling cracked and broke all at once. Debris fell on and around them, but none of them relented.

Inanna's Dark Rage allowed her to be on par with the Jedi Master, but she could not keep it forever. Like in her training, she felt it begin to eat away at her being, millimeter by millimeter, constantly.

Surprisingly, the Force whispered Ima Gun Di about this. He sensed the unnatural energy emanating from her… no, not from her, but from something enveloping her soul, her heart, her body… it was strange, for he had not met such a case before. That power was foreign, as if from another dimension.

The Jedi Master parried another lightsaber flurry. The red aura was seeping into the plasma beam, adding lightning to her weapon, its shocks dancing on their blades as they locked against one another.

He ignored the pain in his hands. He'd try something that masters Windu and Yoda sometimes practiced: Force Absorb. He didn't have such a good control over it like they- or even master Erladin's padawan- did, but it was worth a try. It's not as if he had anything to lose!

Inanna felt part of her power dwindling-no, it was something else. The Jedi was imitating her Nelo's power; HOW DARE HE!

The anger and the memory brought a rush in her. She broke the stalemate, engaged in a series of wild Ataru attacks, thus landing powerful strikes all over the jedi's defense.

Master Gun Di dodged and parried and jumped, but even with the siphoned energy at his disposal he felt the strain of the effort; he felt tired, his hands were numb. He didn't have the corrupting help, the poisonous 'gift' that was the Dark Side to compensate for it, but his mind was sharp, more than enough to norice that this was not the sith's usual technique, hence the irregularities; she was bound to make mistakes. If only he could act on them…

…

" _There!"_ he dashed to the right, kicked her and made to slice her weaker right arm off.

However, her own reflexes were sharp and he only ended up wounding her in the same area that his padawan had. Sadly, her Force Drain had healed that area. But this new one was ugly and bloody now.

Until she had time to comprehend what was happening, he kicked her across that very arm and made to plunge his lightsaber into her heart to end her wretched existence.

Inanna felt the Dark Rage beginning to take its all to nasty toll on her. She needed to feed it, else it would wane, and with it, her life would be forfeit.

So when the jedi got lucky and landed a pretty ugly blow on her, she used that stinging pain to feed the monster that was the _**Rage**_. Her hold over it reaffirmed itself. Her abilities resharpened, even increased.

Another kick in the weakened arm. She would punish him dearly for that!

Leaving one flank open, she baited him into grazing her abdomen area, before spinning around and slashing at his back, thus leaving an ugly sideways trace on him, stretching from his left shoulder to his waist. Countless rivulets of blood rained on the dusty floor of the command room.

The nikto jedi started coughing and his breathing took more effort. That and the fatigue that had settled in worked against him. What's more, his vision began to blur.

Inanna didn't make the mistake of thinking she had won. That was Maul and Saato's mistake—underestimating downed jedi. For good measure, she continued to circle him and land a flurry of blows desgined to tire and outstretch his defences even more.

Master Ima Gun Di could not properly heal himself and parry all those strikes. He had to admit that she was smart, observant and disciplined. To manage to use such tactics and control that cannibalistic power of hers...

If circumstances were different, she would have made a great jedi. But, alas, the Order could not reach out to all the Force Sensitives in the Galaxy, take them from their families and raising them to be guardians of peace and justice, servants, not oppressors of the Force like the one before him was.

He parried another couple of strikes and spared a thought on the destiny of Ryloth and its twi'leks.

With the Capital City out of their hands, the only thing the Republic and the local militias could do was running into hiding, using guerilla tactics to keep the Separatist hold of the planet to a minimum.

Wat Tambor would no doubt starve the others to death. Innocents, the weak, the unarmed, women, children, old people.

And this hypocrite girl in front of him had spewn on about how the Republic was outdated, at how it didn't care about it's citzens or other system's denizens.

" I hope you realize, sith, that once you kill me and claim this planet, countless will die!" he spoke to her on a cold, factly tone. " Your supposed liberation will be, directly or not, a massacre!"

Inanna stopped her attacking and circled her prey again- habit of hers. Her golden-red eyes met the nikto's black ones.

" If only they wouldn't fight or rebel against us!" she shook her veiled head. " I don't target civilians for sport, jedi, but if one is harboring a pistol, grenade, bomb or knife… well, hehehe! That one's head will fly off of it's shoulders in a sec!" she shouted the last part as she launched herself in a speedy assault on him.

That was the moment Ima Gun Di was waiting for. Maybe he could reach out to her, seeing as she admitted sparing the innocents. The Force was curiously silent on this matter, leaving it up to him to weigh his words carefully.

He dropped back in his Soresu stance, saber held vertically.

They clashed yet again. Their locked lightsabers gave off another spectacle of sparks, illuminating both their faces.

" It seems like you still have some honor and, dareisay, a soul, sith! Pty that one of us must die here!"

" Pity indeed!" came her short, ironical answer.

" I only pray that whoever may…win here today would save the innocents of Ryloth. What is a planet devoid of inhabitants? Children orphaned of their parents, parents robbed of their cherished young? What are people without homes or families?"

" Often enough, they are jedi!" she countered, her blade edging closer to his hands and face.

" Huh! A fair point, I suppose!" he forcibly laughed. " I guess it's true to an extent. But still, you haven't refuted the first issue" he added with a small smile.

" So what if I spare them? Wat Tambor will administer the planet. I'm here for the jedi hunting and that's it!" her weapon finally broke the lock, imbedding itself below his left shoulder, destroying nerves and bones and muscles; his left arm was now useless.

Master Ima Gun Di jumped away, but she followed suit, pressing on her advantage. He could only use his right arm to wield his weapon, thus his Soresu was nullified. Also, Makashi wouldn't be as good as before.

Her body, however, looked to be overstraining itself. By sheer will and through the use of the Dark Side, she kept on, regardless. It was crystal clear who today's winner would be.

So he wasn't surprised when, after ten more minutes of bitter fighting, in which whole sections of the building collapsed, she landed another hit, this time destroying his lightsaber. Quickly after, she impaled the right side of his torso, just below the lung; a wound to immobilize and slowly kill.

Falling to the ground, master Ima Gun Di rested his head on a fragment of the holo-table behind him, his breathing made difficult.

" So you've won, ey? You can go back to your master with pride and trophy, heh!" he coughed, spitting droplets of blood and gritting his teeth to suppress gasps of pain.

" Like I said, I am here to kill you all, to clean the Galaxy of your filth and lies, of your fake cult and broken promises!"

" You are spiteful of us. What did we ever do to wrong you, personally?"

" Much and nothing! Or better yet, much wrong through inaction!"

" I see, you must be one whom we didn't save! For what is worth, I'm sorry young one!"

" You can take your apologies to the grave! I would have been orphaned one way or another, by jedi or the others!" she spat, getting closer, her hand hovering over the lightsaber activation button.

" Before you claim my life, may I know your name and ask a question? I assume you'll keep that promise regarding the civilians and innocents.

" No you may not know it. Ask away!" she stopped, her hidden face centimeters away from his. Also, her weapon was pressed against his heart, for good measure.

" Do you have a plan after all this fighting, any aspiration that goes beyond violence? Humor a dying enemy, and be truthful!"

Her golden eyes were beginning to lose that corrupted shine in them. He even saw the hints of green in them, akin to those hints of humanity that she had displayed.

 _Inanna Shapish_ was her name, so has the Force whispered to him. What a shame. In another universe, this name might have inspired hope, promised help, justice, mercy, compassion…

" I do have a couple of plans. One of them is being free of "masters". Another would be…hmm…well, I've never been one for serenity, but passion…that's a whole new story!" her now smug voice answered, but he could see through that, could see the way she looked a bit away, as if picturing someone dear to her, as improbable as that sounded.

" Love? I supposed even the darkest of shadows guards a burning candle." He paused, letting the words sink in her mind. One minute later, he added solemnly: " One piece of advice though…"

" HA! Now I've heard everything! A jedi giving me relationship advice! Pfff!"

" Amusing…*cough*cough*cough*spit*…but hear me out! Do not let the Dark Side or anyone else take it from you. The same goes for that special someone!

As for me, there is no death, there is only the Force!" he ended his speech, before closing his eyes, letting go of all that is worldy.

Her red lightsaber pierced his heart, killing him.

However, almost as quick, his body faded; no trace whatsoever, save for his clothes, was left behind.

Perplexed, his words still ringing in her head, Inanna Shapish turned her attention on the still evacuating Republic Forces.

Using her master comlink, she ordered vulture droids to land in front of the convoys and fire away at any military personnel. She would take no unnecessary lives.

Hours later, over 2000 clone bodies littered the grounds of the capital and those around it. Along with them, further hundreds of the local militia. As for the prisoners, Wat Tambor, the new governor of Ryloth, had them sent to death camps.

Surprisingly though, the dark jedi assassin and Count Dooku's personal envoy, whose name he didn't know, raised herself from her chair and Force Gripped his neck. Her already strange and certainly unpleasant voice made itself heard all over the dead-silent room:

" Wat Tambor! Let me remind you that you are just an administrator. The Separatist Alliance is the one drawing the lines here, capiche? That includes keeping the population _alive_! My master was clear in his instructions." She neared him and in an annoyingly daring way, she toyed with the voice control buttons of his suit, causing a malfunction. He even felt electrical shocks running through his body for a few seconds. That sith witch!

" He also said that I was the one to do as the situation requires, _**sith lady**_! If I see it fit to starve those nasty twi'leks until they can't rebel anymore, then I will do it without a second thought! We don't need worthless mouths to fe…!" he never got to finish his phrase, as Inanna Force Pushed him into the nearby wall with a loud *thud*.

" If you wish to govern a planet of skeletons, then I can send you to a graveyard like Korriban. I'm sure the horrid tukata would like to chop your head off!" then she turned to the rest of the droids and emissaries.

" It is an attitude like his"- she pointed at the disheaveled Tambor, who could barely gather himself up- " that leads the locals to treat us as scumbag occupiers! We need to get as many of them on our side as possible. A puppet government. Locating Cham Syndulla and his so called Ryloth Liberation Front is your first priority. At the same time, make sure to use the twi'leks on the farmsteads, biodoms and mines. Try to goad them into trusting you for once; but punish disobedience without hesitation. Give them a job, a good Separatist education, food and medicine and clothes. Let me tell you- that makes their minds more malleable!"

" And how does one of your profession, an assassin and saboteour, know how of ruling? You bicker amongst yourselfs everytime I see two of you together!" one rather influent neimodian inquired, much to her displeasure. She couldn't Force Choke that one, else she might run into trouble later, but she could leave a lasting message.

" By actually blending in with the commoners and knowing what tickles them, envoy Cher'Shayyn! Something few of you have done in the last months. I urge you to try!" she answered watching him intently, her gaze bored into his glasses covered eyes, then travelling to the others' as well.

When no one else questioned her, she returned to drawing up the plans with her own added observations. She would stay for about five days, then leave for the front. Cham Syndulla wasn't her target- that was something the new administrator should take care of.

Meanwhile, the words of the jedi returned. Her thoughts went to Nelo. Would her Dark Side really get in the way of the two of them? Preposterous! It was that detachment preached by the so called Light Side and his Order that prevented them. That and the war.

She pondered on this as she regularly took field missions on the planet. The speeder bike that she was given was modernized with new turbo-thrusters. At a 500km/h, she felt her worries melt away as she jumped over the many cliffs, canyons and ravines of Ryloth. The planet itself was a paradox of deserts, barren, rocky areas and many oases of green, centuries old forests, lakes and rivers. The job was something not to be neglected. Spying on rebel hideouts, marking them, but also building up relations with twi'lek desertors and turncoats in the name of the new government. Everywhere she went, she was met with cold glares, fake smiles and reactions, fear, hate and whatever else they felt was appropriate. She brushed all of it off. No one had the right to judge her.

It was on the fourth day that she was recalled to the front a bit early and quick. She had just finished setting up guarded perimeters between the beskar mines to the southwest of the capital when Count Dooku informed her via their personal comlink that General Grievous was in trouble. It looked like the Malevolance had taken a serious hit from a bomber squadron led by… Anakin Skywalker and Nelo Hivaarr.

 _ **Part 2 here**_

 _ **Let me know your thoughts on this one!**_

 _ **May ze Force be with you!**_


	25. CH26: Fleet Away!

**Ch26: Fleet away!**

 _At the Jedi Temple…_

The High Council was in the middle of a very important meeting when Nelo decided to butt in. He was called in, after all!

Master Windu threw him a nasty glare, but that was nothing new in the Galaxy. Half the members of the Council were present, but the others were away, represented by their holograms, along with the Chancelor's.

" Since the Malevolence has taken out over five Venator fleets in the Outer Rim, we do not have any reinforcements at hand there. Whatever is left is already stretched thin!" master Shaak Ti concluded her presentation that Hivaarr had missed until now.

" The only significant reserves that we have are master Kenobi's small fleet. It is currently orbiting Tatooine, so it should reach the medical station eventually." Agen Kolar informed.

" Yes, but not in due time, I'm afraid!" the said master answered glumly.

" The other choice would be deploying the Coruscanti reserves to the Mid Rim in order to relieve the forces already there. Rotating the troops was what we originally intended to do anyway, right?" Saesee Tiin proposed, to which the others nodded.

Grandmaster Yoda was studying a datapad which listed the available jedi and clone battalions. Appearently, many were planet-side at the moment, but not all were free or battle ready. Some were discharged, others were assigned to policing the nearby space lanes or the planet's underbelly.

As much as he wanted to avoid it, the experienced jedi master had to admit that knight Erladin and his padawan, Nelo, along with the 321th legion were the best they could send. And still… that particular human boy intrigued and terrified him at the same time.

He turned his eyes at him as he stood there in a corner, respectfully listening to the explaination of his superiors. The currents of the Force were shifting too much as of late. His destiny, even his allegiance in the future looked unclear. And the reccurence of Darth Zannah in his nightmare, along with that outburst of Sith power. How did that come to be? They searched his family tree as thorough as it possible, not finding any remote common bloodline with any sith or dark jedi, much less with the above mentioned one. Nelo never visited Korriban or knew where that was or how it looked like- so his detailed description of the Valley of the Sith Lords, the Tuk'ata, the atmosphere and everything only served to complicate the issue. Madam Jocasta Nu was still investigating the case.

It is no wonder that master Windu, his former padawan, did not trust or endorse this young man. Anakin Skywalker was as much a Shatterpoint in the Force as was Nelo Hivaarr. Handling the former was already difficult; both of them or more than that was…troubling.

But, given his exemplary handling of the Coruscant Underbelly street cleaning operations and the recommendation from master Sinube, the padawan deserved the trust of the Council.

So they decided to send his entire legion, plus two more cruisers to the border between the Mid Rim and the Outer Rim, having this detachment hold the line and prevent reinforcements from reaching the Malevolance.

 _Hours later…_

" Master, you know I want to take part in that raid! My piloting skills could use some honing!" Hivaarr inquired, as he gave his modded X-Wing a lookover. " I haven't had the opportunity to fly it in a while; it rusts away!"

" And so does your patience and concentration, young padawan!" his master chuckled. " You may be good, but those weeks in which you were grounded surely have taken their effect on you!"

" Have not!" he shook his head and smiled. " But if I am not allowed to, then I won't!"

" At least you now submit to those who are wiser than you! And I see more humility in you. So those weeks of underground missions payed off in more ways than one." Master Erladin mused as he made his way towards the bridge. " It will take a while to get to the Naboo System, so go join your troopers for a drill! You need to get back into the usual battle formations!"

" Yes, master!" Nelo answered with a bow and was off to the simulator chamber.

For the hours it took the cruiser fleet to reach the Naboo System, Nelo ran more than four different drills with his company, making sure to throw every available clone in the rotation. Exercises included the boarding of an enemy ship, defense against a droid boarding, target practice, warzone drop off and confined spaces, among others.

He himself did not refrain from using his DL-44 blaster in combination with his lightsaber. At times, he even replaced the jedi weapon with a vibrosword, just in case he might need the skill. In a battle, one could only hope that his lightsaber wouldn't get destroyed; that would leave one at the mercy of the droids, bounty hunter or sith on the other side.

In one of the breaks that they caught, Nelo chatted with some of his clone troopers.

Mark, Shark and a couple of others sat on boxes, forming a circle around him.

"That leave on Coruscant sure did its good! Man, I already miss the cantinas, with the drinks and dancers! Woooohhh-weeee!" Mark laughed.

" That would be your fifth tie at _The Green Chalice_. I wonder how you don't get bored…or broke!" Shark countered, as he was cleaning his helmet.

"You're kidding, right? That place's got Corellian Firewhiskey- the real deal. Oh, and Tarisian Ale and that *mmmm* Mandalorian Beer. Don't forget the girls, beautiful ones appreciative of my *ehem* sharpshooter skills!" Mark bragged on, smirking.

Nelo rolled his eyes but couldn't abstain himself from snickering. It was curious how a clone sergeant could afford to pay 50 credits for a bottle of good alcohol. By gambling, no doubt!

" Do you want to bet that you're using your eagle eyes to cheat at pazaak and other card games?" Hivaarr confronted him smugly, to which Mark paled.

" I think the commander here is jealous on you, brother. He ain't allowed to get into cantinas 'cause he's not even 17 standard years and 'all" one clone with a sharp tongue threw back. " Perks of being a clone, what can I say? Girls dig brave soldiers!" he flexed his bicepses to prove a point.

Suddenly, he was toppled over by an invisible fist to the face, falling flat on his back and bringing down four rates on himself.

Nelo rose and gave them a full fledged smile.

"Perks of being a jedi! And you all know I've had my fair share of alcohol, barfights stabbings and what not! Course, Shark, half of the time you're in space; the other half your brain is kinda spaced out!"

They went on with the savvy and unsavvy jokes for a while, beforer heading out to the mess-hall to have dinner.

Inbetween eating the oh-so-familiar glob that the GRA labeled as food, Craig admitted to wanting to leave this career after the war. Exploring the Universe, maybe marrying and settling down, working a field, opening a shop, anything. Except for army or police jobs; he'd had enough of that.

The others, having heard him, told their own plans for the future. There simply had to be a future after all of this…chaos. A normal job, a family, the liberty to go wherever one wanted, the liberty to be a normal sentient.

"But of course, that will never happen, since we'll all die or be used as cannon fodder until we do bite the spacedust!" Shark had a depressed tone as he nearly whispered the words, afraid of court martial.

" Don't forget that hormone they gave us! We all age quicker than normal beings!" Mark reminded them. " By the time you reach 40, Nelo, any of us would be, say 70-80!" he told the padawan who nearly choked on his drink. " And people ask me why I want to have girls and fun!" he spoke to no one in particular.

Everybody knew it was treason to spread dissent and doubt amongst fellow soldiers, so they were careful most of the time. But in that mess-hall, surrounded only by their comrads, they felt safe enough to be sincere and open about this.

The mess hall was filled with whispers of dreams and fears, of hopes and disappointments. The two hundred or so clones that were present knew they only had each other… and their commander, padawan Hivaarr. Knight Erladin was fair, but did not go out of his way to help or understand them like his apprentice does.

" And you said 70 Mark? I bet you it's not going to be 50 standard. Come on, think about it! We reached puberty in five or less standard. In a can… Instant soldiers!" he laughed at his bitter joke. " Just what the senators needed! We're like droids to them!"

The others more or less echoed his words. Nelo, however, would have none of it.

"You are not droids! Let that sink into your thick skulls! You are humans, sentients, not some machines, programmed to serve and obey!"

" But sir, isn't that what we do all the time? Serve the Republic anytime, anywhere!?" one interjected.

" You may think that. There are senators who think like that, but we jedi value all life! You may be clones, but to the Living Force that binds this Universe together, each of you is unique." He spoke as he stepped on the table and spoke louder. " Look at you! You are all 100% Jango Fett, yet each has his differences: haircut, haircolor, accent, tattoos, armor markins, talents… vices like drinking and smoking!" he cast an amused glance towards Mark, who managed a smile. "… …piloting, driving, pazaak, music playing…not one of you is completely like the other.

That being said, know that I will help you get the Discharge from the G.R.A. after the war. I swear it!" he held up his hand solemnly, while turning his gaze to each of them.

" Even if _you_ do, sir, what about the rest? The Jedi Order, the Senate, the citzens? They'd rather have us as police afterwards!" Craig inquired.

Nelo shook his head firmly.

"Not with my battalion! I know you're all thinking- he's just a padawan who's not even 17, but he's thinking big. But we are the 321th, the best of the best, better than other, larger groups. And you know why?"when they stayed silent he added.

" Because none of you is expendable! Because we are cohesive and take care of each other, as any family should!

So when we exit hyperspace around Naboo, we'll all be ready to jump on the Head Clanker, should he try escaping through there!

And at the end of it all, a bright future awaits you all! _**Your future**_ , built and strengthened on your daily efforts. Trust in whatever dreams you have, perish the doubts and rise above the challenges!" he powered his lightsaber and spoke the last part with a roar. The others cheered as well.

Back on the bridge of the cruiser, Jeid Knight Krav Erladin was stunned by his padawan's speech. One of the security technicians turned the audio up, so that they might all hear it. It was amazing, energic.

And shuddering…in some aspects.

Nelo Hivaarr was forming a network of bonds with all the soldiers under his command. Camaraderie, friendship, loyalty, sincerity and value for all lives and dreams. A powerful emotional cocktail that until now has brought them success at a minimal cost. But jedi, as encouraged in their compassion as they are, are also taught not to get attached in any form; and this was too much beyond that line.

Nelo had to learn how to detach himself from the tragedies and injustices in the Universe, for they are just as endless as is spacedust. In trying to save more, protect more and prevent crimes, disease, famine, he could get lost in a spiral of despair and depression—dangerous steps towards the Dark Side.

The latter, though present in all beings, pulsed strongly in Hivaarr at times. His light side aura was acting like a prison, holding it in, the padawan being his own warden. Yet having seen him release it once, back on Geonosis… it scared him. The yellow eye… the unnatural energy, the draining… all in the name of saving them from certain death on that ship.

He sighed and grabbed the armrests of his chair for support.

" _The road to hell is paved with good intentions!"_ he thought.

" Sir, we have arrived in the Naboo System! Queen Jamilla and Senator Amidala are hailing us!" the bridge technicians received the call and played it through the two jedi' synced com-devices.

Two holograms appeared, friendly smiles etched all over their faces, their eyes betraying a tinge of fear…and urgency, however.

" Master Jedi, thank you for arriving so soon! Our system is under attack by the Separatist Alliance. The Malevolance failed to destroy the Medical Station, but the gargantuan ship has been holding our forces occupied!" the Queen began, with the Senator continuing.

" Intelligence reports indicate that an enemy fleet is due to relieve it, but we o not know when or where exactly. They could be hitting the medical station or the Naboo itself, for all we know!"

" Worry not, senator, your highness! We are here to prevent any hostilities. Our units are mobile enough to address threats to this part of the system!"

" That is good to hear, knight Erladin! We have about four Hammerhead-class and twelve CR.90 corvettes guarding us; the rest is away. They are to serve with you for now." Queen Jamilla sent them the Home Fleet's data. " Our combined forces should proe enough of a deterance to Count Dooku's lackeys!"

Senator Amidala's own communicator beeped repeatedly, so she excused herself and read the message, while the royal staff worked together with Vice-Admiral Steffano and knight Erladin in spreading out the stand-by formations and tac-response ships. A general mobilization of the ground troops and militias was already called.

The Republic sent four transport ships with troops to the surface, along with six tanks and many AT-RTs fast walkers and 4 AT-AP mobile guns, plus weapons for the locals. Theed would be a fortress.

The clone division still held most of its forces on the cruisers to repel potential boarding attempts and keep the mobility.

Meanwhile, Nelo had reached the bridge, gazing at the Star System's map. They were currently positioning around the capital world and its closest planets. Vice- Admiral Steffano also sent a detachment of three CR90s to patrol the opposite end of the system.

Hivaarr had his doubts about major assaults happening in the following days. He took a seat at one of the computers, stifling through fleet movements and their reports.

The Fifth Republic Fleet was making a stop in the Hutt Space to refuel, a hyperjump away from Tatooine. The remnants of the Third Fleet were heading towards Corellia for repairs. Elements of the First Fleet have engaged in skirmishes near Onderon and Bespin. The Republic had lost Felucia when Anakin retreated a month ago and Ryloth had also been lost, along with its entire fleet, garrison and jedi. What spy reports they had implied that the enemy was moving three fleets on the entirety of the frontline.

How would all of this add up? Would they really redirect forces otherwise needed for occupation and garrisoning? IS the _Malevolance_ worth all this? They can't reach it that fast, if master Kenobi keeps shooting at it…

" Something's come up! I need to leave immediately!" Padme suddenly called back. "My Queen will help you with whatever you need!" she rushed off.

"Senator, is it bad? May we assist?" Nelo asked quickly. Something was bothering him and the Force felt strange, silenced. Padme could know the key to this whole problem, he just had to be a bit…political about it.

" Nothing to worry you, Nelo, but thanks for offering! The High Chancellor needs one senator to go and meet with a Banking Clan Representative to discuss about Nute Gunray's _**Purse Worlds**_ and the bribing network of the Senate.

Some circles in the Republic are plotting behind our backs. If we find out who, then we might be able to shorten this Galactic Madness, saving millions!"

And as the closest available senator, I am going!"

" Are you sure this is a good idea? Me and my master have had our own missions of recovering intel. They were all traps!"

" My padawan is right, I'm afraid! We urge you to at least take a squadron of troopers. We have just…" Erladin himself added, but the senator dismissed his advice.

" I can handle myself, master jedi. Moreover, my own six guards are with me. They are trained and have served me impeccably. If the Representative thinks it's an arres, he might back away or destroy evidence; the Chancellor and myself don't want that. May the Force be with you!" miss Amidala stood firm in her decision and left to prepare.

Less than an hour later, her trademark silver Naboo Royale jumped into hyperspace.

 ****Author's note.****

 **Sorry for the wait. Will finally begin updating the story.**

 **The turning point is near. Surprises await in the next chapters.**

 **Follow and Review to support zis story!**

 **Credit where it's due: Lucasarts.**


	26. CH27: Space Battle of Doom

**CH27: Space battle of Doom**

[song suggestion: CONFRONTATIONAL- Keep Faith]

Back on the deck, Nelo Hivaarr watched thoughtfully, hands fidgeting with his lightsaber.

The Unknown, the war in the shadows, that's where they were losing. Somehow, the whispers were just too low, their actions too slow to stop this endless flow of shrewdery, maliciousness, evilry that the sith and their minions possessed.

He returned to his room to meditate on the matter. Nothing was as it was before. Nothing was as it appeared to be.

After leaving his ARC Trooper Armor and his blaster on the bed, Nelo sat cross-legged in the middle of the room, drawing deep breaths to steady himself. Seconds turned to minutes and hours, as time itself- as a notion- left him.

He ignored his body, tried to get out of it and connect to the midichlorians outside him, all around him: the ship, the fleet, the people aboard them.

Slowly, ever so slowly, strands of what he named **Force Strings** revealed themselves to him. Snippets of knowledge poured back randomly.

 _The thoughts of his master, the strategies of the Vice-Admiral, Craig's worries, the medic board's mental sighs…_ going further… _the Queen's thoughts on the helpless, wounded clones killed when the Naboo medical fleet was shot down by Grievous. Her advisers' bickering…_

Finally, he felt a nudge. Then another, as if he was slapped. Then, akin to a tidal wave, a presence revealed itself. At that moment, the room went dark around him, lit only by his golden aura and another blood red one in front of him.

" Darth Zannah!" he bellowed.

" Nelo Hivaarr!" the blonde sith lord grinned as she approached. "It's been some time, but that is ok for me; I am patient."

" I don't need your patience. I don't need you AT ALL!" he slapped away her extended hand.

The Force Ghost raised an eyebrow at his rudeness, turning half-way from him. Her right hand was glowing. Silver, along with golden red and blueish lights were mixing into a sphere like planets around a sun, like electrons around a nucleus.

" Of course you do. Your powers are of the Dark Side… my descendent!"

Nelo's blood froze on the spot. His mind nearly went blank at the implication. He… a descendent of… of a … mass murdering, galaxy threatening woman, whose mere name still strikes fear, after so long a time?

It was a ruse; it had to be. Yes! She was trying to convince him to leave the Path of the Light, to give in to those animalic instincts and emotions without any regard, to turn to evil and crime. But none of that would happen. He would keep faith in the goodness and honesty that guided him until now.

" Nice try, witch! You keep hounding me, trying to trick, to trap me and have me fall into your web of lies; to do your bidding, rebuild your legacy as what? As your tool, your vessel? Ha! As if I am idiot enough to believe you or submit to you!"

Instead of jumping to attack him, like he expected her to do, the sith lord merely shook her head and lit one end of her double-blade. The ominous red plasma beam hummed dangerously, its monotony broken only by her surprisingly thoughtful sigh.

" Is that so? Tell me padawan, how many times have your relied upon this _animalic_ power? Upon the endless reserve locked deep within you?" she closed her eyes and stopped moving. Was she trying to read his mind? His mental shields went up and he held on to them. Would she break them with ease and look inside his memories?

Finally, after a minute, she spoke, eyes still closed.

" Your padawan trials, before the lightsaber droids cut you and Anakin down… Your battle with Mace Windu before that…hmmm… delicious hate! What a good fuel for that fire!

On Geonosis it saved you and yours from certain death and later it showed you that the Jedi fear you, enough to collar you like an animal!" she finally opened her eyes and gave him a stare that would scare the saints out of anyone.

Seeing as he was morbidly aware of all this, she pressed on. She had him cornered over there, with all the things he would not acknowledge but will now be thrown into his face. He had to see the truth, had to embrace his heritage!

" Yeeeesss! They caged your powers and collared you like an animal, like that Acklay in the arena. They whisper behind your back, plan to subdue you, but their Code won't let them…for now. No love, no compassion or respect for who you are or what you do, just like the Jedi Lords and their so called _Army of Light_ one thousand years ago."

" Lies! Half-truths and twisted realities, all mixed up to trick me!" he defied her words. Or tried to. He wasn't sure he was successful. She looked like she saw right through to his soul, not only his memories. Those golden-red orbs… damn them.

" Half-truths? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" her sinister laugh boomed all around him in the infinite darkness surrounding him, its sound pressing upon him like a hammer.

" Like the ones you tell when it comes to… _ **HER**_!?"

When she saw his face go blank yet again, the Sith Lord aimed her weapon at his heart, the plasma beam slowly burning his tunic away. Her next words were as foreboding as they were glacial.

" Now listen to me, punk! That girl is pure Dark Side material!" a smirk to underline that, then her face became even more serious. " The one thing separating you two is the Light Side imprisoning the true you now. Remove ythat and you get the gal; simple as that!"

But don't wait too long! I get the feeling that she'll make that move for you… and it won't be pretty." She frowned as she turned her double-blade off. " She is one who doesn't shy away from killing, maiming, torturing, lying, blackmailing, kidnapping… you have good tastes, my descendent. Why else do you think you were attracted to her, huh? It's not her _**pure soul**_ or some nonsense. It's your inner power resonating with her entire being!"

Nelo would have no more of this Dark Side, fatalist, demoralizing preaching. He gritted his teeth, squeezed his fists and rose up to meet her on the same level.

" You leave her out of this, wretched ghost! It seems 1000 years of isolation haven't been enough to make you see the destruction wrought upon this Galaxy. BEGONE!"

The Sith Spirit only seemed amuzed, perhaps a tad bit disappointed by the words he just said. Her aura started dissipating, her legs vanishing in mere seconds, followed by her hands, then her torso. However, before her head too was gone, she spoke once more:

" Be wary of the current Sith Lord, Sidious! He wants both of you dead.

May the Force serve you well!"

And, like that, she was gone, leaving him with more questions than before and with fears he never had.

The darkness that had engulfed the room went away too. The blueish lights above hurt his eyes for a couple of minutes.

When he came to his senses, he checked his chrono-watch. Two hours! Only then did he notice that he was trembling, slightly.

Fishing his music player from the tunic's pocket, he turned one one of his more calming songs **[the suggested song].** How could two hours have gone by?

Something was missing. The words of the Sith Ghost came back to haunt him: Darth Sidious had him and Inanna in his sights. He had to warn her.

He dressed in his armor and he walked towards the bridge, when an ear-piercing klaxon began.

" Attention, attention! All men to your posts! Two enemy fleets are about to exit hyperspace near our location!"

Nelo cursed like a Nar Shadaa thug. TWO fleets? How had they missed that out? No report ever mentioned the Separatist mustering so many droids and ships…to an important Republic symbol, no less. Naboo stands for the best form of democracy, human rights, coexistence and helping those in need. It had to be the symbol, because the strategic importance of the system, while undeniable, was less important than many others'.

His master sent him a message. He was to go to the hangars. He also received an estimate of the enemy forces.

12 capital ships, along with twenty combat ships and hordes of vulture droids were approaching the planet of Naboo.

A few of the Republic Cruisers moved in to engaged them, helped by the CR90 Corvettes.

A fight ensued, in which vulture droids commited many kamikaze strikes in key areas of the defending ships, leaving them dead in space and easy for the quad-lasers to destroy.

Hivaarr gathered Shark, Topnotch and Blindbird, along with 50 X-wings, 30 W-wings and 30 Y-wings bombers outside, to even the odds.

Krav Erladin and Vice-Admiral Steffano sent a signal to the ships patrolling the outlying planets. With their help, a flanking maneuver might work. Master Kenobi and knight Skywalker were still occupied with the Malevolance, which had received her own reinforcements.

One of the deck officers announced that Nelo had entered the frey. His squadron ought to thin the enemy attack waves, but they feared even that might not be enough. Republic Intelligence had failed them….yet again, sadly.

Those enemy capital ships formed a circle around what appeared to be dropships. And they were closing in way too fast. The planet was to be invaded!

" Vice-Admiral, hail the Queen and tell her to gather whatever army she can: police, volunteers, militias, anything! Have her call the Gungans to arms too! Our forces down there aren't strong enough to defend Theed City if all those dropships land!"

" Colonel Trondheim, please announce all able bodied soldiers to gear up and board the gunships. We have some more tanks to spare. Make a quick battle insertion.

Captain Craig, your soldiers are needed on the ground…NOW! Leave a skeleton crew here and get yourselves on Naboo now! We have to protect the Queen and her subjects!"

Meanwhile, outside, in the cold, unforgiving space, stealthy elements joined the battle, specially designed snub fighters skillfully sneaking through the Republic lines.

Nelo blasted three more vulture droids off of Shark's tail, who in turn helped a fellow Y-bomber.

" Thanks sir!" he breathed in relief.

" Shark, this is getting us nowhere! There are too many…" Nelo looked at his navi-computer. " And we've lost eight ships already. Others are damaged. We change strategy NOW!"

A loud boom could be heard in his headset.

Two CR90s had been destroyed by those encroaching capital ships.

" Topnotch…come in Topnotch!"

" Here, sir! I'm a bit occupied!" he said as he dodged a stormful of debris.

Nelo himself did a sommersault to get behind the four enemy droids and blast them with his laser fire.

" Contact my master. Tell him to send the Hammerheads to attack the sides of those Droid Cruisers. Tell 'em to hit the hangar and engine areas. We'll take care of the rest."

" Oh-oh! What about… those shields and vultures?"

" Leave those to me and Blindbird!" Nelo answered, while clearing a path in front of him.

Hivaarr took 30 X-Wings and all the bombers along, while leaving the others to guard the friendly lines. As they got closer and closer to their goal, the enemy fire intensified. Luckily, their vessels were nimble enough to avoid a hit from the quad-lasers. The jedi padawan was spearheading the attack, his enhanced shields holding out well enough.

There was no avoiding losses this time, but taking out their targets would save more… so many and so much more.

Two bombers got caught between two laser batteries and a score of vultures, meeting their doom.

" Eight torpedoes at it! Four more at the bridge and let's get out!" Nelo shouted in the comlink as he avoided another wave of rockets.

The attack crippled the Separatist ship.

Erladin got the message and, taking Nelo's advice, ordered the assigned ships to pummel the enemy's now exposed left flank.

While the skies were still contested, six dropships managed to land on the surface of the capital planet, as close to Theed as they could. Antiaircraft guns couldn't get past their shields or their vulture droids escort. They were only effective in thinning out the number of enemy drop pods approaching and even there, not as many as it was hoped to.

About twenty thousand battle droids managed to land, along with their heavy gear.

The Capital City's defenders counted ten giant Wheelie Droids, twenty Mushroom droids and fifty normal tanks. Plus several vulture droids that bombed their trenches and fortified positions.

The opposing side had the Antiair cannons, ten batteries. Then came the 3600 strong clone garrison and the 3000 strong militiamen, policemen and servicemen that comprised the irregular _Army of Naboo._ One had to add the eight Republic Tanks, four AT-AP Mobile Guns and 22 AT-RT Fast Walkers.

The defenders had the advantage of a multilayered defence, built by then Queen Amidala and the incumbent Queen Jamilla in the last ten years to prevent a quick, potential takeover of the capital city. Three sets of walls, guarded by towers equipped with shield generators, countless bomb shelters, stores of provision and medical rooms in plenty. The city was also situated on a mountainside, so their back was insured against ground troops there. The other side was where the Clone Army dug it's own trenches, set up prefabricated and guns. Further away from the city, out into the fields, two squads had managed to plant landmines and were now in stand by to detonate them.

Commander-in-chief of the defences, clone captain Craig, gazed upon the map in his H.Q., then used binoculars to get a better look at what they were up against.

He didn't like what he saw.

" There are too many for us to handle. The Gungans need to move fast. Without them and with the skies contested, we won't be able to hold the capital, your highness!" he spoke to the hologram of Queen Jamilla.

" You must do your best commander, I beg of you! We know what it's like to be occupied by them. If you fail, if we fail, then we are dooming hundreds of thousands, if not millions!" desperation and sadness were clear in her voice.

" I know, your highness. We are trying our best, but we lack soldiers. We are outnumbered more than three to one with minimal air support. My men will die defending you all, but I fear that may not be enough this time!" his initial harsh words ended up in a low, pessimist tone.

" Our people are not warriors. Medics, diplomats, aid workers, farmers, yes, but no warriors; we have no standing army. And the gungan leader, boss Lyonie, told me that it would take some time to gather his whole army and his giant catapults. You need to hold out until they arrive!"

"Alright, you have my promise! But I'll have to send my best men to guard you and your palace. You never know with the Separatists!"

" Captain, please, their better off with you!" she tried to refuse, but he'd have none of it.

" Your highness, if they break through, you need the best guards to help you escape. I insist that sergeants Mark and Sharp and twenty more ARC Troopers join you!"

After a few seconds of hesitation, she nodded, then bid them good luck in the next fight.

Then Craig turned once more towards the hill that would become a giant junkyard and mass grave.

" _Damn it! We needed Nelo down here with us!"_

 _In the space around Naboo…_

The Separatist Fleet was still going forward, despite its flanks being constantly fired and losing friendlies. The vulture droids were hitting and eventually downing one CR90 Corvette and X-Wing after the other.

Nelo's squadron, while racking up an astonishing kill count, was losing many ships to damage and destruction AND was running low on ammo. The brave pilots and their padawan commander had to admit that, pull out from the operation and head back to friendly lines.

" Thrusters to maximum, keep formation and shoot through them. Rear gunners'd have to guard our flanks and rear!" Blindbird ordered.

Later, after what seemed like a lifetime of dodging debris, laser, rockets, kamikazes, they made it to their hangars. Only then, after jumping out of their cockpits, could they see how battered all their ships looked. The pilots were dead tired and realized the stress of this hours long, seemingly endless conflict took its toll. They were shaking and had to lay down on their backs to not fall over.

The padawan contacted his master, who informed him that they were still outmatched 2.7 to 1. Despite all their efforts, an army was amassing itself on Naboo's surface and their own ground troops there were cut off. Not impossible to turn the tip, but they needed backup. ASAP! But none was showing up, appearently. And the gungans may not be enough…

The enemy cruisers changed course, heading towards the Republic lines with all speed.

One hour later, the ship the jedi were on was trapped between two enemy ships, which attached docking tubes. Vice-Admiral Steffano had attempted a short hyperspace jump to thwart that, but the enemy had used its gravity wells and tractor beams to hold them in place, like a pincer.

" Cruiser Galvanus, target the enemy on our broadsides!" the Vice-Admiral ordered, only to be met with static. He repeated his message, to no avail, however.

He made contact with the other cruiser close by, being met only by a masked and hooded face.

" **You have lost! Surrender to despair! HAHAHAHAHA!"** a thick accented voice bellowed.

Jedi Knight Erladin stopped the transmission and turned to speak to them all.

" Mr Steffano, it seems like everything was well prepared from the start." He solemnly stated, making no effort to hide his sadness. " This trap must have occurred through betrayal, either in the GRA or in the Senate!"

" But the Intelligence Agency… wasn't it _**IT**_ that told us our numbers were sufficient?" one clone deck officer asked, bewildered.

" You can never be too sure with spies, helmsman! The way information gets bought, stolen, sold, handled is never clean, much less is it accurate." The jedi admitted, remembering the Corellia episode. He had responsibility over all these people, over the planet's wellbeing as well. They had to pull it off. Somehow, despite all this, they had to. Or Juggernaught Company will die, without meaning, without glory, without achieving its goals.

" Please turn the shipwide transmission" he asked the technician.

" _This is general Krav Elradin speaking. Our ships has been caught between two enemy cruisers, with no possibility to move out. Prepare for enemy boarding from both sides. Get all weapons available, but leave the explosives behind; we don't want to crash this party too soon._

 _Commence Defensive Maneuvers D21 and D30. Use confined spaces and choke points to your advantage. Droid poppers are a good idea against large groups, so don't waste those EMP grenades. May the Force be with you!"_

Ten docking tubes attached to the ship's key areas, five on each side. They opened to reveal scores of battle droids that immediately came under fire from the defenders.

The true battle had begun!

 _ **Author's Note**_

 _ **Big, bloody battle ahead. I won't change the category from T to M, but I will give fair warning about that. May span over one or two chapters altogether.**_

 _ **Also, follow, favorite the story if you liked it.**_

 _ **Review or PM if you want to support it.**_

 _ **Credits go to:**_

 _ **LucasArts for everything Star Wars related (Disney sucks)**_ __

 _ **CONFRONTATIONAL for the song.**_


	27. CH28 Spilled blood

**Ch28: Spilled blood**

 **[Song suggestionMemtrix-All you are]**

Craig grinned as four of the droid tanks had stumbled upon the minefields that his engineers had layed out. The explosion wave also cleared the area of any enemy troops near the now scorched vehicles.

He had decided to keep it safe. Have it look like a siege and snipe the invaders from a safe distance with precision fire. Teams of snipers, handpicked by Mark and Sharp had been camouflaged and positioned on strategic hilltops overlooking the frontline. Whenever the droids came close to spotting the teams, he would order laser volleys from the trenches or an artillery barrage.

The droids attacked in waves, probing the defences of the clone company. The clankers would advance in a uniformed fashion and pummel the trenches. Where they noticed that it gave even one meter, they pushed on and directed forces at that perceived weakpoint.

As a result, commander Craig had to redirect reserves at each one of those breaches before that point gave up. The front was elastic in itself, with losses and gains, captured ground and recovered ground. Lucky for him the Wheelie droids hadn't begun their onslaught yet, meaning that their artillery was safe…for now. The one thing that kept bugging him was the enemy air forces. The Naboo fighter fleet and the A.A. guns were busy fighting scores of vulture droids and still it wasn't enough. Every now and then, he had to direct clones to shooting them down with rocket launchers and mobile guns. Even so, some bombs ended up on the trenchline, worsening their already uneaven odds.

Meanwhile, back at the Palace, the Queen was worried sick for her planet. She felt ashamed to order every able-bodied man and woman to arm themselves with whatever guns and pieces of armor remained in the armories. The skies were loud from the noise of the aircraft fighting eachother. The skies and the atmosphere were filled with starships firing upon starships, so much so that one could see them by simply gazing upwards. The countryside was getting scorched with each second, bombs, shells, lasers blackening it bit by bit, second by second. Looking around herself, Jamilla counted 22 ARC Troopers, along with her personal guard of 50 well trained men and women plus 10 gungan spear-throwers, the best the Boss had permanently left at her disposal. It should be enough to deter any attempts on her life, but those brave sentients would have been better off outside, helping their comrades, rather than wasting time here with her.

She sighed. Such was the nature of politics. People needed someone to trust, to put their hopes into and have their pleas heard. A monarch had to uphold her vows to the letter, but that could only be done if the said monarch was alive. Her death meant nothing at the moment; a useless sacrifice. Smarts and courage, resilience and practical thinking, just like her predecessor, Padme, had taught and shown her.

 _Back in space, aboard the capital cruiser of the Republic_

Nelo Hivaarr led a squad of clones towards one of the boarding tubes. Most of the clones had been sent to Naboo to help in its ground defense, so he had to make due with the skeleton crew that remained. He thought back on the numbers they still had. With the exception of the technicians, pilots and non-combat personel, that would amount to a maximum of 1000 soldiers. That and two jedi had to hold off 10 docking tubes and the enemy troops that came through them. Only way was to destroy them somehow.

The padawan turned the last corner and was in the corridor that led to the docking tube. It was attached to an airlock, meaning that the area would, upon an explosion, issue an emergency shield and blastdoor over any blownup hole. Which gave him a few ideas.

" Alright everyone, I want four clone with me next to that door. Five more with shields on the left and right seven meters away. The rest, use the corners of the corridor as cover. When they barge in, do greet them nicely!" he laughed as all of them took position.

On the other side of the ship, jedi knight Krav Erladin had also taken a squad of clones to meet the droids. He positioned his soldiers in a firing ground formation. Two docking tubes were attaching to that level, so the clones awaited on the larger corridor. Once the clankers would emerge and march into it, they would be gunned down by a barrage of laser fire. If that weren't enough, then the EMP grenades would do the rest. Another, smaller unit was kept in reserve on the other side of the wide corridor, ready to hit when the enemy turned its back to it.

From the looks of it, the Separatists were hellbent on capturing them, seeing as they did not outright blow the entire ship up. It meant that either him, Nelo, the deck crew, or even all of them were on a list of soon to be guests of Count Dooku.

He only hoped they could close those two accesways before moving on to the next. The others had to hold on while he and Nelo were busy.

Nelo Hivaarr could hear the sounds of droids marching through the tunnel. It would open at any time. Everyone aimed their weapons at the door, fingers on th triggers.

Two more minutes passed before the door opened to reveal scores of super battle droids, which marched in and began firing on the clone's shields. They hadn't noticed the five soldiers behind them, who waited for the hall to get crowded enough and then fell in on them.

Nelo's lightsaber cut through the frame of two clankers, moving on to eviscerate four more, while the four clones next to him fired point blank shots at the red eyes of their enemies (their weakest point). The rest managed to shoot down each droid that had gotten aboard, clearing the jedi's back, thus enabling him to go forward.

With his Force Shield up, Hivaarr made use of speed and agility, teaching the robots why you shouldn't mess with jedi. The docking tube allowed no more than three superbattle droids at a time on its width, which made his job of cutting them down easier. Ten minutes later and he stepped on the enemy ship, where more than two hundred droids aimed at him from three different sides.

" Well, that is my cue to get out I guess!" he shouted at them amused, then did a backflip and closed the ship's door, slicing over the command panel.

He called on his engineers to set up four thermal detonators and two mines in the docking tube, before ordering a withdrawal. What he was doing was darn risky, but if the method worked, they would stop the boarding and also damage the Separatist cruiser.

He put his helmet on and activated the magnetic boots, waiting for the clankers to show up again, which they did, after crashing their door; just as planned.

Two more minutes later, the tube was engulfed in flames as the explosives went off, crashing it altogether and sending its occupants in the cold, lifeless space outside. Well, not all of them, since Nelo was just one meter inside of it and was able to step back into the safety of his ship's airlock, which promptly closed the breach off.

Turning around to his troops, he noticed they had three wounded and one on the brink of death.

" We're losing him, sir! There's nothing we can do!" the field medic who was tending to the fallen clone announced.

" Take the three to the bridge and take care of them! Chop and Carl, you help 'em!" Nelo decided.

" At once, sir!" the three nodded and went on to escort their wounded towards the safest place aboard.

Normally he would do his best to save the dying, but he was so unbelievably tired after the space battle and the stunt he just pulled, he was unable to. Whatever energy he still had needed to be put to good use against the other docking tubes and the droids coming through them. The lesser of two evils, he begrudgingly admitted.

He ordered the squad to move towards the closest endangered area.

Jedi Knight Erladin could feel the reverberations of an explosion on the other side of their ship. A few seconds later and a message popped up: Nelo had blown up one of the docking tubes. That boy and his love for firearms! He shook his head amusedly and paid attention towards the corridor.

The first eight super battle droids showed up, only to come under fire from the clone squad. Moments later, three machines were down, partially blocking the way of the ones behind them.

Knight Erladin stepped in front of his troops to deflect the rapid fire back at the assailants. The shields of the clones stood up to the attacks, but the shock would at times rip it out of their hands, exposing the soldiers.

After thinning out the incoming waves, Erladin went on the offensive, Force Speeding against the rather slow, cumbersome metal husks, cutting them with precise movements, while skillfully avoiding friendly and enemy fire alike. He trusted the Force to guide his actions, to flow through him and shatter the evilness before him.

Twenty intense minutes later, the twin boarding parties had been mostly dealt with by the two strategically placed clone groups. Scorched marks littered the walls, husks of metal were scattered around them as far as the corridors stretched. On their side, six clones had died as a result of a droid thrown grenade that he had failed to notice.

Silently praying to the Force for the fallen ones, he sealed the docking tubes off and gathered his men to head out towards the next critical zone.

Meanwhile, at docking ports X6 and Y3, the clone defenders were slowly pushed back by the droids. Without the support of their jedi commanders, they weren't able to close the tubes, so all they could do was hold the line as best as possible. Every so often, EMPs or "droid poppers" were thrown out, disabling whole groups of enemies, giving the defenders some two minutes of respite to reload and change positions.

Less than an hour into the fight, a new enemy made itself known, as seven large droid husks were hurled at the clone squad of dock X6, their bodies crushed by the impact. The shields did little to protect them, as the shock would be akin to being hit by a space speeder. At dock Y3, a shadowy figure sped towards the other squad, throwing its twin lightsabers in a pincer-cleaver movement, which effectively cut down the Republic soldiers.

The remaining defenders at both ports were either cut or shot down afterwards. There were no cameras on at the time. The droid avangarde made sure of that. They boarders now had a clear path inside, their aces not yet revealed.

 _Theed's Outer Walls…_

" Damn those bombers! Get all available pilots on them! A.A. guns and ground cannon batteries, concentrate fire on sector C12!" commander Craig ordered, as the HQ shook under a bomb that fell on a nearby house.

The clones had managed to hold out despite cruel odds. The mine fields, boggy terrain and Theed's position slowed the advance of tanks. Also, through redirecting a few fighter pilots and fast walkers, they brought down the giant "Wheelie" rocket-launching droids. This came at the price of a few downed ships, the walkers being all annihilated and some bombs falling on the walls and trenches. Havoc for less havoc. Saving lives didn't mean saving all lives, sadly. Without their commander's powers and proper support, even their battle hardened battalion was tiring out, losing men, equipment, ground…

Three vulture droids had been grazed by laser fire, so they "chose" to crash land into the nearest section of the wall. This prompted the nearby tanks and droids to concentrate fire there, overwhelming the defenders in that sector. Minutes later, the tens of droids made their way through it, while the others pushed at other sectors relentlessly.

Clone and nabooian riot police reserves rushed in to try and close that gap, but the tanks fired at them everytime they tried to form a coherent battle formation, making them easy pickings for the seemingly tireless and limitless droids pushing past the wall and trench line.

Other defenders lent a hand, sniping at the weaker droids, but it only prolonged the inevitable.

Commander Craig ordered the troops there to clear the area, as the ordered four shells to be fired at the gap, one inside the city, the other three outside.

The sector was shattered by the bombs, all traces of the droids wiped off. The reserves took position around it to try and restore the defence. He ordered a tank there to back them up.

" Sir! We've got another attack wave. They're going for the shield generators!" a clone sergeant reported.

A flight of vulture droids disengaged their air fight and concentrated their fire upon the six shield generators guarding the second wall. As if it weren't enough, the enemy tanks and cannons too fired at them. The protective layer couldn't withstain such repetitive shocks; it couldn't replenish its energy supply quickly enough.

" SIR!" another clone shouted.

" What is it?"

" A team of commando droids has gotten past the trenches and is heading towards the batteries!"

" DAMN! Have them shoot at the vultures first. If the tanks or the mobile guns are able to, have them target the droid artillery! And someone get me that air support!" he ordered the overly stressed adjutants. A gaze upon the map and the mounting death toll told him that this was getting out of hand—six hundred dead and many wounded, two tanks destroyed, all fast walkers and three mobile guns were space dust. As if it weren't enough, the hidden sniper teams reported that more enemies were amassing behind the hills, beyond the range of the Republic guns. They would march in any time now.

Half an hour later, the commando droids had managed to take out two more tanks and another mobile gun and their crews, before being gunned down. The weakened clone artillery barrage prompted the Separatists to send in their reserves. The walls themselves were beginning to crumble under the lasers. The situation was getting more desperate by the minute.

Craig had to order the generators to be moved to the next level. A slow retreat, with explosives layed out to cover them, was in effect.

 _Theed Palace an hour later…_

Queen Jamilla was informed of the precarious position that they were in. Her gaze stopped upon the death toll and she had to grab the sides of the holo-table to steady herself. All that stood between the droids and the clones had been scorched and killed, the outer city was leveled to the ground. The commander was undoubtedly doing his best, but they were being pushed back to the inner walls. And from what her remaining pilots had reported, the Republic Fleet above the Naboo was in disarray; not one of them could be contacted; even Padme and master Kenobi, who weren't too far away, couldn't be reached. And what was taking the Gungans so long?

The sound of the ceiling and windows breaking sent a frightening chill down her spine. She turned around, only to see four of her charges being gunned down by commando droids.

Sharp and Mark and their squad opened fire on them, while her guards took up the riot shields and surrounded her in a protective circle.

From one of the windows, a blue chiss woman showed herself, grinning maniacly, her voice a dangerous howl across the palace guest hall.

" Thanks for the audience, your Highness! Now be a good ruler and stop all this bloodshed while you still can!" she approached, only to be stopped by the 22 clones pointing their rifles at her. " Come now, boys! I already have a boyfriend!" she laughed as if this was a casual conversation. " Actually, he's up there hunting your commanders. That leaves us enough play time, if you know what I mean!" she wiggled her eyebrows, before activating her saberstaff.

" A sith!" the Queen gasped. She knew from her experience as Padme's aide that those were more than a regiment of droids. And were able to kill jedi, like poor master Qui-Gon Jinn.

" Indeed! And not some weakling like that pathetic Darth Maul. I'm Senr'ance Tann and I actually intend to finish the job.

" What job?" Jamilla tried to sound brave, but a small tremble in her words gave her away and made the sith smile.

" Subjugating Naboo, capturing or killing you, whichever suits the situation. Be a good pet and come quietly. Resist and…well" she looked at her saberstaff with longing. " It's been a time since I fed my crystals with some souls!" she laughed it off, her red eyes only enhacing her menacing look.

Mark turned to Sharp and shook his head. The fight was next to impossible to win, but they couldn't just throw their weapons away. The Queen might live, emphasis on _might_ , but everyone else would be executed. Better to die on your feet with dignity, than down and in shame.

Their brothers too thought like that. So Mark moved his hand to the right to signal them.

" Loth-cat got your tongue, majesty?" Senr'ance Tann. " Maybe…"

She didn't finish that sentence. All clone soldiers opened fire on the remaining commando droids, taking eight of them out with a single volley. A firefight ensued, with the Queen being ushered to the next hall by her security guards, while the Republic soldiers fought for her and their lives.

 _Meanwhile on the Republic Flagship…_

Nelo had managed to destroy yet another docking tube and block another one with the blast doors and ray-shields. That should limit the clankers' numbers. As his by now bigger team headed towards the next tube, they came upon a warzone. Dead bodies everywhere, along with metal husks, scorched walls and a smell of burned flesh that would make anyone sick.

They checked the bodies for survivors, but there weren't any. But the two teams guarding those last tubes entries on this side were by far the largest; he made sure of it. They should have resisted until he reached them. Something was wrong.

" What is it sir?" a clone sergeant asked.

" This ain't normal, Jeff. The corridors are too narrow for so many clankers to get through. They had help."

" I'm too afraid to ask what kind of help…" Jeff added as he watched the mangled bodies of his brothers.

" Call it a hunch, but… _sith_. Or at least a Force User. We need to get moving and close those damned tubes!" he rushed them.

 _On the other side of the ship…_

Knight Erladin cut the last droid down, before throwing a bundle of grenades and thermal detonators down the tube, up to the enemy ship. He quickly closed the security doors and pushed with the Force. Moments later, a huge shockwave pushed against it, but he held it together. On the other side utter destruction must have reigned.

A cry from one of the clones startled him. He turned around to find a large group of droids attacking the rear guard. Their lack of shields made them easy prey and the tight space did not allow a change in formation. At the same time, another group appeared from the front, boxing them in.

Erladin activated his lightsaber and jumped over the soldiers, extending his hands at the droids and sending the strongest shockwave he could form. Needless to say, the effect was devastating. The avant-garde held the line, having stronger protection and a minigun at their disposal.

A few minutes later, it was over, but the skirmish left them with seven dead and six more wounded that needed to be taken to the bridge area and guarded- that's another four clones to go with them.

" We'll head to the bridge and hold the line there! We have no choice; we have to protect those that are too vulnerable!" . They moved out as quick as possible.

 **Author's note**

 _ **Credit where it's due: Lucasarts for Star Wars, Memtrix for song.**_

 _ **The next chapters will take a bit to write, but stay tuned.**_

 _ **Reviews and favorites are always welcome.**_


	28. CH:29 Martyrdom

**Shadow Cast upon Naboo. A menace rises** …

 **[Song: Scandroid - Neo Tokyo (Dance With The Dead Remix]**

Nelo instructed Jeff and the clone team to stay put and keep coded radio contact with him. He was going to do a number on the Separatist ship to shut down the threat once and for all.

He activated his energy shield and Force Sped down one of the docking tubes and into an assembly area, where he was met with fifty droids, all of which turned their heads at him immediately.

Being the soldier that he was, Hivaarr used some well placed grenades to clear out the area, before breaking into a run for the reactor area. He had an idea of how a Separatist Dreadnaught looked like on the inside and he hoped he wouldn't get lost.

Meanwhile, the clones were waiting for their commander to return.

The air around them was tense, as if a huge threat was looming over them. Ominous feelings felt by each soldier, heads turning left and right, up and down, as if looking for something, yet nothing was out of the ordinary. Their weapons were locked and loaded: rifles, miniguns, grenades, tactical shields, everything. They stood in a circular position around their wounded and their leader, on guard for… for what, they asked themselves? If sith were the antithesis of the jedi, it meant they too had superpowers. All of them had seen Nelo and his master in action and they knew for sure what the Force was capable of. Sith, on the other hand… belonged to the legends, stories that half-drunken adventurers would tell when they want to scare their cantina audience, or mothers threatening their children with the big bad sith that would haunt them, unless they behave properly. Every planet has its own legends, its stories running back thousands of years, back to the time of the Old Republic, when Galactic Wars were much more brutal, larger, terrifying…

" Sir, I don't like the feeling that I'm getting! It's as if something's about to happen, but no one's around! We got nothing on the scanners!" Jeff reported.

It seemed like a lifetime before Nelo's answer got through, but when it did, they were relieved. The only advice he could give them was to back away to a closed area and watch all angles carefully: up, down, left, right, ventilation shafts, lifts, anything. Any unusual lights or glimmers meant an invisibility belt, so they should shoot at it without another thought.

Meanwhile, the padawan was having a hard time avoiding all the droid patrols. Even with all the troops already dropped on Naboo and onto their ship, the Separatist crew still had enough clankers to give him a headache. Try as he might, he could not avoid conflict. Force Speed and sneaking got him past most patrols. He had no time to lose, not with his men and his master in grave danger; and that ominuous feeling that all of the clones felt… clones that were force-blind, needless to say… was unnerving him with each second.

About twenty minutes after he'd boarded the damned cruiser, he finally reached the reactor core chamber. And, like any military ship that respects itself, it was heavily guarded.

The thirty battle droids and super battle droids turned their heads in his direction, hesitated for a few seconds, then ordered him to surrender.

Nelo opted to save his energy for later, so he quickly threw a cluster of four EMP grenades that managed to knock most of his enemies out. The remaining ones he cut down with his lightsaber, then he proceeded to open the door. Luckily for him, the robot sergeant had his key-card on him.

As he went in, he was greeted with the sight of a giant device, easily thirty times his size and with all sorts of tubes extending both upwards and downwards, feeding the whole contraption raw energy.

He checked his bag and his armor pockets. Four thermal detonators, one fragmentation mine, five fragmentation grenades and three EMPs. Not enough, he thought. But then again, he did get that demolition degree a few months back, so he knew how to concoct a dangerous mix out of more, _unusual_ ingredients. Take ammo cartridges for example: very volatile, very useful, when tied to other explosives.

He went about gathering the blasters left over from the battle, as well as the rocket-launcher-arms of the super droids. It took him quite some time and tinkering with the wires, but in the end he got a pretty decent looking _**ticking menace.**_ He positioned them near the cooling area, control pad, as well as under the platform. He set the detonator to go off in ten minutes; less would give the enemy time to defuse it.

He broke in a run to get out of there. The clock was ticking… and not in his favour, for this was a close one, no matter how he looked at it.

Halfway through the ship, his way was blocked by a patrol of destroyers that rolled in his direction. Thanks to the narrow corridors, they could not surround him, but they certainly had friends on the way. He had to act fast or else he would get gunned down.

Before they activated their shields and trained their weapons, he pushed out with his hands, the sudden Force Attack causing them to chaotically roll back. Seconds later, he blocked the door off and plunged his lightsaber in the control panel. He then resumed his run like there was no tomorrow.

As he reached the hangar area, he heard a loud boom and the ship shuddered. His feet carried him through the boarding tube. He knew he flirted with death the moment the contraption broke off with him still in it. Air was being snuffed out and his lungs were struggling, as was his mind, trying to find a way out. His hands reached out, grabbing the handles to the airlock with the Force.

A few clones must have seen him, for it opened up and he passed through, the blastdoor closing behind him, life support kicking in.

He took chaotic breaths in, making up for the emptiness felt seconds ago. His heart would not stop beating. It took him two minutes of hard jedi concentration to bring it under control.

When he did, he looked around for his soldiers, but he could see none of them.

" _Strange… then how did the door open?"_ he asked himself.

The ominous air that his men reported was still there. With him being Force Sensitive, he could actually trail it. So he kneeled, took five deep breaths and concentrated on its signature. Slowly, his awareness began to expand, corridor with corridor, following the nigh invisible, ghatly red tracks left by the sith.

At one point, the tracks diverged, which could only mean… that there were two of them… _at the very least._

His awareness ended. It could only mean that his energy reserves were getting lower and lower. It had been a hard day and he had used shields, jumps, pushes, and healing too often; not to mention that he felt tired as hell from all the space fighting. He must reach master Erladin, else they'd both die.

 _On the battered planet of Naboo…_

Craig's men had lost the second walls. A group of commando droids had snuck up on them from behind and taken out two of the shield batteries, weakening the link between the protective device. True to theirselves, the guards shot the nuisances down, but the damage had already been done. And the random vulture droid doing a bomb run or a kamikaze didn't help in the least.

Two of his groups had been cut off, as they tried to defend the remaining artillery pieces. That bought the rest of the clones time to reposition, but the Separatist Army didn't miss the opportunity. With well placed bomb strikes, the soldiers were soon turned into martyrs of the innocent inhabitants of Naboo; for the Republic and for their brothers.

" Captain… it's been an honor to serve you! Don't come after us!" one of the encircled gun sergeants reported, a fake laugh in his voice. He was trying not to break down and instead take the damned things out.

" Yeah! It's been a fun journey, don't you think guys? I thought we were going to make it all, as commander Hivaarr said!" another one told, his voice shaking, as the laser fire reached his vehicle. " Good…" his transmission ended too soon.

Craig kicked the table twice and let out a desperate groan.

His assistant reported that the sniper-teams were laying low. If it was possible, they would return to friendly lines. The clone captain could think of no better plan.

Really now, what was a better plan? What was a _good plan?_ They had used all the delay tactics in the book, with the terrain, shields, mines, surprise attacks, but they simply had no chance. It was as if the enemy knew to counteract each action with sheer numbers; plus the damned Separatists had air support… and commando droids… and tanks… and rockets…

" NO! Damnit, damnit! How could we have been fooled like this?" he shouted.

" What do you mean sir?" another assistant asked.

Craig threw another glance upon the battle map, upon the space map, upon their remaining numbers and then spoke again.

" We are outnumbered 4 to 1 now. We've lost at least 1100 troops with that encirclement and those damned bombs! The Nabooians themselves are down to… I don't know… 2000 militias! Militias, not seasoned soldiers…

And from what I am seeing, our enemy has had some reserves and some well placed drop pods. I betcha there are some more commandos sneaking in behind us and causing trouble! As if it weren't enough!

No, my brothers, this had to have been well thought out! Somebody knew our tactics, knew our numbers and knew to keep our jedi commanders isolated in the sky. With that blockade and all the jamming, our only hope is the Gungan Army, which I don't know where the Corellian hecks is!"

All of them felt the tension in the air. They were seeing the red trailed shells and lasers falling upon the ever more ruined city of Theed. The outer quarters had been razed to the ground, the ones in the _No man's land_ were falling by the seconds. Homes, futures, families… far too many would die or would be scarred by what was happening that day. Now that their heavy mechs were wiped out, they resorted to house-by-house, street-by-street guerilla fights, in the hope of having at least some cover and some semblance of strategy for holding out.

Craig slapped himself in the head a few times, to repeated deep breaths and tried to steady himself. In a fit of desperation, he injected himself with a battle stimulant, one that would give him the strength to carry on for a few hours, but would knock out his body for a few days after; not that it matter, since those days would either be in the hospital or in the morgue.

Begrudgingly and cursing whoever had betrayed the battalion, he went back to gather the H.Q. and move up towards the inner city. His aides followed him in complete silence. Was it inertia, duty, their respect for their comrads' sacrifice that was keeping them in the fight? Most likely a combination of the three.

 _Theed Royal Palace…_

Thanks to the clones' quick thinking, most of the sith's escort had been taken out within seconds. The remaining ones, however, were putting one hell of a fight, being the elite clankers of the Separatists. They would take cover behind columns, sofas, doors; they would climb walls, jump at the clones, whatever had been programmed within them.

During this time, the chiss sith, Senr'ance Tann, was smiling madly like the animal she was. Not even engaging in battle, she looked like she was playing with them, mocking their efforts by parrying their blasts with her sabre-staff. When she looked like she was getting bored, she would deflect one shot back at a clone's head or chest to kill them. Afterwards, she would inhale the air like one inhales Ryloth's ryll _-spice._

Half an hour later, Mark and Sharp were left with only fourteen clones, but they had taken out the sith's escorts. They then tried to surround her and aimed in all possible directions that she may take to avoid laser fire.

" Bravo!" she had the audacity to shut down her weapon and _clap_ , of all things.

They certainly didn't waste time. All sixteen clones simultaneously opened fire on the sith lady, who used a giant Force Push to send them back, crashing into the walls and columns behind them; also, she completely evaded the laser fire.

" You do know the age-old rule, right? Blasters don't work against lightsabers! Hahahahahaha!" she threw her head back and laughed, the glitter in her infernal red eyes growing by the seconds. " I thought that getting her majesty would be boring, but you gentlemen are _fun!_ Legit, brave, trained soldiers! Too bad that little jedi padawan isn't here with you! I would love to spar with him… and stab him… and spread his insides all over these halls!" she looked around the light yellow room and spat. " Yup, definitely needs more red in it!" her head then snapped to them and she activated her weapon.

The two clone commanders ordered them to fall back and try to barricade themselves, but the enemy had the Force at her command. She would happily waltz between their shots, pick one of them and cut his head, pick another and cut his body and so on.

Now on the run, the remaining eight clones ran down the stairs towards the basement, where the queen was headed to.

" I most certainly like to chase my boys! Hahahahaha! And then carve them like an Alderaanian fruit cake, in all shapes and sizes!" she shouted at them.

Those torturous minutes seemed like hours to them.

When they finally reached the said room, the Queen was just about to be locked. She looked at them once more with sad eyes and bid them good luck- and then the door closed, followed by an extra blastdoor and a forceshield. The whole palace could come down and the room would still stand strong. Food and water and air was plentiful, two blasters and an emergency radio unit were also there. The Queen had only taken six of her human and two of her gungan guards, leaving the rest to help the clones take down that evil woman.

" Wow!" the chiss remarked as she reached the room. 46 weapons were trained on her, like an execution squad. " I'm not the gal seeking attention, that would be Saato!" she laughed awkawardly.

" Drop your weapons now, come quietly and we will find a way for you to repent!" Mark said.

" He-he! You sound just like a jedi, trooper! You aren't a secret jedi, are you?" she cocked her head to the side like a child.

" 'Spent enough time around one! Our commander will take care of your little droids up there and then you'll get it!" Mark spoke back at her, his gaze narrowing behind his helmet.

" Brave words, labrat! But with a droid army and three sith up there, I believe he'll come to terms with what Count Dooku's planned for him and his annoying master!"

Everyone opened fire on her. Tann used a rather weaker form of Dark Rage. Being not as skilled as Inanna in that art, it didn't provide more than a bit of speed and protection, but it was enough. She angled herself low, then rotated and jumped and repeated the pattern. All around her, clones and humans and gungans fell to her laser blade, killed or maimed in mere seconds. Just like someone would scythe down the wheat in a field would precise moves.

Every once in a while, blaster bolts and energy spikes would reach her, but the Rage and her own armor would protect her. Pain got through to her, as no barrier was perfect, but at least she didn't die. And the more emotions she felt, the more powerful her rage got.

But, like all things in the Universe, no energy is infinite. And no strategy is perfect. And the unpredictable could hit you from where you least expect it!

Down to just six men, Mark, Sharp and their four gungans allies all jumped her.

Senr'ance Tann, beginning to feel the fatigue from straining her body, had some trouble blocking the energy spears and avoiding the pistols, but one by one, she bested her opponents until she was jumped by the two damned clones.

One of them she stabbed in the chest, while the other had grabbed her neck somehow and was pressing hard against it.

The pressure on her windpipe was growing and her lungs were struggling. Out of desperation, she unleashed a wave of Force Lighting upon the room, shocking wounded and dead bodies and Mark himself.

" You die here, sith!" the last clone warrior spoke through gritted teeth.

He and Sharp knew that this was their last battle. By means of hand signs, they agreed on what to do. And that was to use the Ultimate Sacrifice against her.

Senr'ance, in her drugged-like state and under pressure, did not pay attention to the two beeps until it was too late.

Two thermal detonator belts went off at the same time, when she least expected them. No Force Shields were raised, so the blast killed her instantly, along with everyone else in the room in a giant explosion that collapsed the walls and the ceiling.

Queen Jamilla, as soon as she heard the blast, wanted to get out, but her guards forbid her to. It was too dangerous and standard protocol was clear. She was to stay in until there was proof that the way out was clear.

/

Commander Craig and his battered remnants had retreated behind the inner wall. Down to just six hundred troops of all colors and military grades, they were low on ammo, grenades and their artillery was busted.

He ducked behind a wall to avoid a droid spearhead group. He then ran up on the stairs, reaching the upper chamber. With a few well placed shots, he killed the six droids, while his men took care of the rest.

The fight went on like this, with them having a kill ration of 7-2 and still losing. Rockets, shells, aerial bombs were falling all around them, worsening the situation.

But then, two things happened:

First, there was a giant explosion and a shudder that could be heard and felt from the royal palace.

He feared for the worst and contacted his aide, telling him to check the signal of the Queen's escort. But, to his sadness, all signals were dead, probably taken out in that blast. The Queen's emergency channel did manage to send an "alright" signal, meaning that she was alive and well at the moment.

Then, the next thing happened:

In the distance, strange catapults could be seen firing a large volley of EMP spheres, whose splash damage cleared countless droids from the blackened fields in front of the city. The cries of the gungans and their fambaa beasts covered the metal monotony of the enemy troops.

The droid reinforcements stopped and turned around and the pressure on the city eased, if only for a bit. The ones that had encircled the clones and the militias were still pushing on.

The city, or what remained of it, and the Queen, the people of Naboo, were saved!

So they fought viciously to make sure that that happened!

Meanwhile, above the planet, one could see one dreadnaught exploding. There was hope, up there, among the stars…

 ** _Note:_**

 ** _Sorry for the wait, but I ran out of inspiration for a while._**

 ** _Got it back, thankfully!_**

 ** _Credit to LucasArts and the aforementioned musical artists._**

 ** _Stay tuned, for the next chapter is about to get brutal..._**


	29. CH30: The fateful delay

_**CH30: The fateful delay**_

 **[song suggestion: Dirtyphonics-Walk in the Fire]**

The space battle in front of the Republic's Main Medical Station in the Naboo System rages on, as the Separatist flagship, the _Malevolence_ , tries to get away. Its deadly weapon and hyperdrive having been neutralized by a squad of bombers led by none other than the hero Anakin Skywalker, the massive vessel was making its escape, covered by another two cruisers that had recently arrived to escort her. Master Kenobi and admiral Yuularen's job was made harder by the sheer size of their target; laser bombardment had little to moderate effect.

Anakin and his team tried to navigate the debris and make another bomb run on the cruiser to the right. Obstacles of all sorts hindered his pilots. Of course it couldn't compare to that Nebula they've used as a shortcut to reach the station in under two hours. Still, too many vulture droids or too thick a debris field and they had to reposition.

The fleet had tried to contact master Erladin and Nelo for help, but the transmissions didn't get through, else they might have gotten an answer.

After another thirty minutes, they finally saw an opening and proceeded to send a dozen proton torpedoes into the dreadnaught's hangar. Since master Kenobi had the ship's shield generator destroyed, the effect was devastating. The resulting explosion broke the hull in three, wiping out everything else around it.

His squadron took evasive actions, powering up their thrusters to max.

" That's the way to do it, boys! Now our job'll be much easier!" he called out to his troops. " Master, should we hit Grievous now? We've a clear pathway to him."

After an hour of thought and planning, jedi master Obi Wan Kenobi ordered Anakin to try and hit the shield generators of the ship and then, if possible, the bridge. They would take care of the rest.

Just as he was about to put his plan into motion, a Royal Nabooian ship dropped out of hyperspace close to the Malevolance; too close to escape the tractor beam that was pulling it to one of the hangars.

Anakin cursed. He knew it had to be Padme's ship long before she sent the distress call. Panicked and confused, his secret wife said that she'd been sent on a diplomatic mission to these very coordinates. She insisted that it was what the high chancellor had provided her with.

The transmission was soon cut off, as the slender, lightweight ship was swallowed by the gargantuan Malevolence.

It took the two jedi careful planning and about two hours to finally break Padme out of her nightmare.

Anakin had taken his squadron back, assembled two rescue teams and, together with the support of the Republic fleet, he closed in on the target. Infiltrating it through a side port, he ordered Ahsoka to get to the hyperdrive and blow it up with thermal detonators, while he was going to rescue the senator.

Needless to say, Anakin used all the skills in the book and then some to get past the countless droid squads posted at the ship's main corridors and junctions. He was worried that Grievous might hurt her to get back at him or to get him to back away.

He concentrated Force Energy into his fist, before releasing it on the destroyers rolling his way. Seconds later, the tin cans behind them were knocked out like in a bowling game. Smirking for a few seconds, he broke into another run, using his senses to pick up Padme's trail.

She was on the run, he could feel it. Maybe her guards bought her that precious time. Even those elite soldiers wouldn't have lasted too long against the head-clanker, so he prayed that they did not suffer; their lives weren't lost in vain.

Meanwhile, Jedi Master Obi Wan Kenobi ordered his cruisers to close in on the enemy position and target the remaining support ship with all they had. The tac-fighters would have to deal with any vulture droids try to close in.

Ahsoka Tano hated sneaking around. Even though during her time at the Jedi Temple and in her Clan, she was the most patient and mindful of the lot, it didn't help that her assigned master was a hothead, hero wannabe, lead-from-the-front kind of jedi. It was inevitable that his character would rub off on her. Still, she had Rex and his thirty clones to take care of… and count on their support. Even without them having Force powers, they were formidable warriors and she had come to see them as her family.

It took her and her squad nearly an hour to locate the reactor. The ship was huge and they had to avoid engaging too many droids at once, for they didn't have the firepower to get through them. Often enough, they used decoy grenades, smoke grenades and the ship's own A.I. against them. Gizmo was Rex's chief hacker corporal and his computer spikes were top quality.

" Good thing we've got you with us, Geeko! Saved our asses a couple of times!" lieutenant Bart threw a chocolate bar at him, which Geeko ate while showing him the middle finger.

" I'd… say… more than seven times!" he spoke inbetween taking a bite.

" Yeah, sure! Leave it to him to brag!" Rex laughed it off before ending that break and getting the move on.

" Eyes on the target… all of you! My master will need us to cover him while he rescues the senator. That reactor going up in flames might be what he needs!"

They neared the final corner, before coming face to face with the greatest separatist nemesis: general Grievous.

" Hello there, jediiii!" he spoke with disdain, while narrowing his predator eyes.

They opened fire on him, only for their efforts to be cut short by him jumping a few meters, then landing a step away from Ahsoka. The latter was saved by her Force enhanced reflexes, but the three clones behind her were mercilessely cut down.

Grievous extended all four of his hands, igniting his four blue and green lightsabers and rolling them in a terrifying display of skills.

The clone troopers spread out behind their commander in a semicircle, aiming their rifles at the general's limbs and chest area; even one lucky shot would turn the balance in their favour.

One intense minute after another passed, in which the cyborg rotated his limbs in ever more complex combinations to in an intimidating way, for he wanted the youngling to see how she wouldn't stand any chance. And playing with his prey was a past time.

" Tano!" he surprised her by calling out her name, rather than some slur. " I've bested no less than three jedi masters and many knights by now. It's a pity you're only a padawan. The challenge isn't worth my time!" he sneered.

A few seconds later, the clones opened fire and even managed to hit his armor in a couple of places, but the accursed thing was sturdier than normal ones.

On the other side, Grievous instantly cut down four of his enemies with a sweep of his arms and decapitated their bodies with another sweep before laughing like the evil being he was.

Ahsoka felt pure horror as she heard the screams of the clones and felt them join the Force. It shook her hard enough to make her abandon all tenants of serenity. She gritted her teeth, screamed in defiance and Force Pushed the enemy general as hard and far as she could.

The invisible wave caught Grievous unprepared. Even his clawed feet couldn't keep him on the platform. Instead, he was propelled into a generator, causing a malfunction and destroying the command panel.

Rex ordered his soldiers to fire at the head clanker, who used his weapons to deflect some laser shots back, killing another clone. The coward didn't hesitate to call for backup.

" Hang in there, boys! We have to get through to bomb that reactor!" Ahsoka encouraged them as she advanced on the enemy.

Anakin cut down the last droid of that troublesome patrol. He was close to Padme, he could feel it. He used the droid captain's access card to open the blast door and broke into a run through the corridor that led to the rail system. His wife was smart, as using one of the trains was a fast ticket out of the predicament. If only he could catch the same one.

Finally, he saw her ducking away behind some crates and firing pot shots at some battle droids closing in from the train that just docked.

Anakin made a giant leap with the help of the Force and landed in front of her. His ocean blue lightsaber swiftly decomissioned the enemy troops in a few well executed Ataru moves.

" Anakin!" Padme was overjoyed to see him, enough to jump into his arms. " This has all been a terrible mess! I'm sorry I've dragged you all into it!" she looked into his eyes with too much regret for him to bear.

" We'll discuss that later with Obi Wan. It wasn't a coincidence that you arrived when we were about to surround this damned cruiser" Anakin answered on a reconciling tone.

" You're right! Let's get out of here!" she sighed and looked around for any sign of trouble.

" Come on, we'll take the train to the Twilight!"

" _**Attention all units! General Grievous requests you to relocate to the generator, engines and bridge areas! The intruders are trying to implode the vessel!"**_

" Oh, no!" Anakin whispered, one which his wife heard.

" What's wrong?"

" Ahsoka and Rex are there; they're going to be cut off! They won't have the manpower nor the firepower to break through that pincer Grievous will catch them in!"

" Then let's hurry up and save them!"

" No! I won't give that clanker another chance at capturing or killing you! We step it up to the Twilight, you climb in, I get the other clones and help Ahsoka." Anakin proposed, as he set the train to the designated station, less than ten minutes away. When he saw her open her mouth in protest, he caught it with a kiss, then whispered that he was too worried for her to place her in danger again.

Another ten minutes of running and they reached the docking tube they used to break in. Luckily, his four clone troopers were still there. They saluted their commander and helped the senator enter the Twilight.

" Guys, have you heard anything from Rex or Ahsoka lately?"

" Geeko said that they reached the reactor, but Grievous was there! That was it."

" Damn! Sithspit! Him and one crew's worth of droids are going to be on them!" Anakin paced around trying to figure something out. He had to do it solo. He could get there quicker and those eight clones and the Twilight would be their secret cards, should they need a quick bailout.

" Listen! Lay low for now, but pack some heavy gear and have the ship ready for takeoff! I'll hail you!"

" You got it, sir!"

Anakin nodded, then broke into a Force induced speedrun across the corridors. His thoughts and worries were centered on Ahsoka. That insane killer was no match for jedi knights and even Obi Wan had a hard time fending him off. He hadn't had the time to teach his padawan all the tricks in the book, so he hoped to Coruscant and back that she was getting creative on her own.

Meanwhile, Grievous swore in his native tongue, as a well placed shot from one of those cursed clones managed to take out his lower right hand, destroying the blue lightsaber hilt with it.

" You will pay for that, scum!" he shouted as he pried himself away from the wreckage and made a leap forward.

Ahsoka found herself face to face with a nightmare. She quickly brought up her green lightsaber in defence, catching the general's three counterparts into a saberlock.

Seconds passed and sweat was trickling down her face from the effort of holding the weapon fast against the slow, but steady push. Grievous liked how she was struggling and he wasn't even putting his best in the push; the prey didn't earn that right just yet. Maybe Skywalker would make a better opponent, even though his master, Kenobi, was the big prize, one whose skull would hang well on his trophy wall back home.

The angle was perfect. Because of the narrow platform, the clones couldn't shoot at him without hitting their own commander, how delightful. He wouldn't want to lose one more lightsaber to some wannabe Jango Fett's lucky volley.

" I can see it in your eyes jedi! The terror…yeeeees!" he said as he pushed a bit harder, making her grip her lightsaber for dear life. " You must know you're just a stupid child, a youngling sent to clean up after Skywalker! Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Ahsoka's headtails were changing color to yellow, a sign she was pushing herself much beyond what she was able. Her Shien was about to be beaten back and those three sabres could sever any of her limbs in the blink of an eyes.

The clones themselves were very worried. They could not surround the target, or go behind and shoot it, because of the damned platform. Geeko, however, had an idea.

" Boss, give me your climbing cable. Bart, I need your magnetic gloves; set them to maximum please. The rest of you, make sure the clanker doesn't see me!"

Bewildered by his subordinate's sudden initiative, Rex gave the ok and had his men positioned to shield their coleague from Grievous's sight.

Geeko donned the gloves, then let himself hang from the side of the pathway. Swallowing his fear of falling to his death in the abyss below, he put one hand on the metal plate…which thankfully stuck…then the other hand. Soon enough, his whole body was under the platform.

" _Come on Geeko, this is just like with those monkey bars track back on Kamino!"_ he reminded himself.

After a few hesitant seconds, he advanced at a fast pace, meter by meter, the noise of the lightsaber fight and the clones' cursing of the enemy made for a good cover.

When he reached the control panel area, he carefully lifted himself up behind it, armed his blaster rifle at Grievous's lower left hand and pulled the trigger.

The padawan was about to fall; he could feel it. Her petty clone gallery wasn't impressing him with their curses. He would enjoy skewering them. But first…

" The end for you, youngling!" he bellowed and carefully removed the lower left arm, wanting to stab her in the gut.

Then a bolt shot right in his metal wrist, rendering it useless.

Ahsoka immediately took advantage of the opportunity. She carefully jumped back, called the fallen green lightsaber to her and ignited it. Basic training in dual style was something all younglings received prior to promoting to padawan, so she grasped the basics of Jar'kai.

To say that the droid general was mad was an understatement. The clone responsible for this, albeit creative, was going to get chopped to pieces.

Grievous jumped back to the platform, less than a meter away from a now trembling Geeko. The clone did the unthinkable seemingly jumped to his doom, only to shoot a climbing cable into the underplates of the walkway, slowly pulling himself up.

Rex wasn't just done with the cursed criminal. He threw one EMP and an ion grenade at the bastard damaging, but not destroying him, as he ran away through the other exit under fire from the rest of the clones.

" Phew! We beat him commander!" Rex patted her on the back, while Bart was helping Geeko climb back to them. " Didn't expect to walk out of that alive!" he exclaimed.

" Honestly Rex? Me neither!" Ahsoka turned off both lightsabers and attached them to her belt, before sitting down and allowing her body to rest; she still trembled from the effort. " I thought he was going to behead me right there!"

" Not with us backing you up! Men, set up those explosives. Make sure they'll take out the whole damned installation! Leave nothing to chance!" Rex gave the orders and helped Ahsoka up. He pleaded with her to be on alert. Now they were at their weakest and droids could get the jump on them.

" Sure! Because I'm the only jedi around here…nevermind being a padawan!" Ahsoka complained while she took deep breaths to center herself.

The next ten minutes were quiet. No enemy squad stumbled upon them, so the clones did manage to place the explosives all around the platform, the wires, the cooling system. Ahsoka had to use the Force to reach the other control platforms and, with Geeko's instructions, set them to overload the electricity conductors.

Suddenly, both doors were blown up and two battalions of droids advanced on them at the same time. Rex and the clones started firing back, knocking quite a few down, but they themselves started losing men to the storm of laser fire engulfing them.

The padawan activated her saber, deflected a few shots back at the assailants, executed a daring leap back to the platform, where she started her attack on one of the clanker groups.

All would have been going well, if not for that damned second group that was hitting them in the back. Rex lost three men already, another one was wounded and they were getting squeezed up pretty badly.

Meanwhile, Ahsoka cut down droid after droid, deflected bolt after bolt, giving her best.

To their luck, Anakin Skywalker showed up, hitting the back of the same droid group. His aggressive Ataru form made short work of the unexpecting targets. Rex, Bart and the rest focused their fire on the opposite group, throwing their last two ion grenades at them, in hope of buying some precious time.

The Force was with them that day. The master and his padawan cleared out the pathway, allowing the rest of the soldiers to safely retreat. Following that, the pair extended their hands and concentrated both their energies in one big Force Push, which threw the droids off of the platform.

" Alright! Those guys won't follow us. Padme's safe, so all we have to do is get back to the Twilight in one piece!" Anakin announced.

" You say it as if it's some kind of challenge?" Ahsoka mused.

" Well, with how our day went and that Grievous is still out there, yeah! Now shut it and move you guys and Ahsoka; we ain't got all day! "

Rex activated the timer. They had less than 30 minutes to get out before the reactor exploded.

Back on the leading Republic battlecruiser, Obi Wan Kenobi ordered the deck officers to fire on the bridge section of the Malevolance. All remaining bombers and fighters were recalled for defense as the fleet was getting close to the target.

" Do you think that general Skywalker has rescued the senator, master Kenobi?" admiral Yularen inquired.

" Yes, I've received a message from the Twilight. He's now trying to rig the ship's reactor to explode. The senator is in the ship, ready to pick them up and make a run for our lines." Master Kenobi reassured him.

Something wasn't right in all the situation. The Force was strangely silent on the matter, yet he could grasp the traces of an ominous feeling, aura or something. It was amiss, but no matter how hard he drove himself, pinpointing the source or any clue related to it was impossible. Jedi weren't able to will the Force to obey them, only to beg for it's wisdom and help.

The clone guards retreated back to the Twilight, their warnings prompting Padme to pilot the ship out of there. Her copilot informed Anakin that she would pick them up from a secondary access shaft five minutes away from their current location.

Anakin swore in huttese, but gave her the O.K.

" I feel like I'm in some stupid game of galacto-chess. Getting moved here and there like I'm some peon!" Bart complained, to which Rex retorted with a laugh.

" You're a soldier. It kinda is your job, numbskull!" he patted him on the shoulder, then ordered a double time.

They eventually reached the meeting point, were their crew was currently cutting through the security grid of the door.

" We don't have time for that!" Anakin announced. " Ahsoka, Rex, cover me!"

As the others quickly formed up behind him, firing on the droids turning on the corner, the jedi knight used his subterfuge skillset to hack the controls. All Separatist issued systems worked similarly, so it didn't take him long to remove two troublesome power cables and the control mechanism malfunctioned.

The door opened and Artoo greeted him from the other side.

" Yes, it's good to see you too, old friend! Now go back and help Padme pilot us out of here!

Hey people, it's time to make a run for it!" he ordered the rest of his team, as he and Ahsoka were covering them, deflecting laser fire.

Once they were onboard, the versatile ship dettached, roared its engines and carried them away from the now exploding ship.

Looking out the windows, they could see the sheer massive side of the Malevolance getting engulfed by hundreds of small fires and explosions.

Much to their dismay, however, general Grievous managed to reach his trademark hyperspace-worthy fighter, escaping in the whole debacle.

A few minutes later, the tired but accomplished team had reached the Medical Station, where the wounded clones were taken to the bacta tanks, while Anakin, Ahsoka and Padme were given an hour's rest before the debriefing took place.

Neither of them could sleep, but enough food and that bit of time off did them some good at least.

Once in the meeting with the Jedi Council and the High Chancellor, they had to relate the whole operation, down to the smallest detail as to identify the faults in the Republic's defence.

" Despite our success, I am worried that we haven't been able to reach knight Erladin's fleet around Naboo. Neither his officers or padawan for that matter." Master Obi Wan inquired.

" A good point!" master Ki-Adi Mundi. " We have tried to make contact with them as well, but to no avail!"

" Even Naboo isn't answering. What with all this crisis involving the Medical Station, we haven't had the time nor the forces to look into this matter!" the High Chancellor declared.

" Hmmm… Clouded, the Force is! Feel the signatures of our two brothers, I cannot!" grandmaster Yoda added to the growing tension.

" If something has happened to my planet, we have to go there right away!" Padme voiced her concern. " This isn't like them, staying silent during times of war!"

" Indeed we must investigate, but we had better not leave our hard won position around the Medical Station. We should not risk the balance here, nor the lives of so many clones!" Chancellor Palpatine spoke. " The other generals and jedi commanders have reported in. Their forces are tied up fighting skirmishes with the Separatists near Manaan, Dantooine, Bespin and Ord Mantel. We have also lost Ryloth as of late and we struggle to contain that sector as more ships pour in." he explained in detail, making use of the holographic map to show them the dire field situation.

Still, Padme wasn't convinced. Her gut feeling told her that they all wanted to ignore Naboo for now, believing it was safe enough. But if that were so, the planet would have responded to her calls in the last hour. And there were other issues she just had to raise now, so she spoke to the High Chancelor.

The aforementioned person raised his head and the mention of his name and focused his gaze on the young senator.

" You've had me sent to this part of the system to negociate with some senate contact; a banking clan representative, I believe. It's because of your coordinates that I've ended up in Grievous's clutches, far away from my people… our people!" she stated coldly.

" My dear, how can you even think that I would for one moment wish ill upon one of my most trusted senators and my former queen, no less? I was merely stating the situation on the field, acting on the information I was given. I believe…" he wanted to add, but Padme cut him off, despite Anakin's silent protest.

" And what information would that be? It seems awfully convenient for Grievous to get a hostage just as the Republic Fleet was prepared to take his ship out!"

" Preposterous! Do you imply, miss Padme, that I've betrayed the very Republic I've swore to protect? That I would go back on those sacred vows I've taken? I shall remind you that I've warned you that the information is not 100% accurate and that it could be very risky or very rewarding for our cause, should it have been proven true. Sadly, it was a Separatist sham!" he answered with a revolted, yet sad expression.

" Then send someone to investigate right now! We don't want a repeat of what happened ten years ago!" she almost fumed. That was a sensible subject and everybody knew it.

" We won't let something like that happen, miss Padme!" master Windu reassured her.

" Nobody wants to see a beautiful planet like Naboo experience that again." Master Mundi added.

" That is why knight Skywalker and padawan Tano are tasked with investigating the matter as of now! You've got one hour to prepare and jump to Naboo. Investigate and report; do not engage if something is wrong! Call for master Kenobi and he shall come to your aid. We'll also scrape a fleet to assist you all in the meantime." Master Windu ordered, which his fellow masters agreed. Then the High Chancelor gave his own approval and the meeting was adjourned.

" I'm going with you!" Padme said on her "no bullshit, don't contradict me" tone. It was a tone that Anakin truly feared, even if he didn't admit to it.

" No, Padme! In case something goes wrong, you might get captured again and the enemy will have leverage over us! We can't take the risk, not after what happened today!" he replied, as they were walking down the corridor towards his room.

" It's my planet! I was born there, I led those people, helping them build, rebuild, sow and reap. I was their queen and now I am their senator! I have to be there for them!"

" And I don't want another Malevolance or Geonosis episode. Both were too close for comfort for you; heck, for me as well!" he sighed, then continued. " Look, I'll speak to you as soon as we reach the planet. You'll know what you can do best right then, okay?" they stopped in his room, where they shared a private moment in his embrace.

" Alright!" she said after a moment. Two crystal clear tears flowed out of her eyes all of a sudden, which he wiped away before kissing her softly on the lips.

" Stay safe, my knight!" she bid him farewell ten minutes later.

" You as well, my queen!" he bowed before leaving for the hangars.

 _ **Author's note:**_

 **So I've delayed the decisive chapter. Sue me**

 **I'll have it written down in the next days and you'll see it up in february. I can promise that.**

 **Please click favorite and follow if you've liked the chapter and the story.**

 **I gladly accept advice, either via** _ **reviews**_ **or** _ **P.M**_ _ **.**_

 **Credit for the Star Wars universe goes to LucasArts**

 **Credit for the music goes to Dirtyphonics.**

 **Until next time!**


	30. CH31: The Darkside Prevails

**Chapter 31: The Dark Side prevails**

 **[Song suggestion:** **Star Wars: KOTOR Music- Endar Spire Theme]**

 _ **The Republic flagship above Naboo…**_

Nelo Hivaarr could not stop running. The ominous feeling was getting stronger, as if the muffled warnings of the Force managed to seep their way through whatever or whoever was holding them hostage. He had to inject himself with a stamina battle stimulant in order for his body to keep up with the effort. It was something he rarely did, since the aftereffects were… neutralizing, to put it that way.

Biting back his body's protest, as he waited for the chemical shock to fade and for the benefits to kick in, he again tried to contact Jeff or any other squad on deck, but none would answer.

One minute later, he ran across corridor after corridor, and the closer he got to the bridge level, the more bodies and metal husks his sights were met with. At a more careful glance, he spotted lightsaber wounds on the bodies of the passed away clones.

" _So now there's no doubt about it! Sith are after us… after master Erladin!"_

 _ **The bridge area of the same ship…**_

Jedi Knight Krav Erladin finished healing the last gravely wounded clone. He wiped his sweaty forehead and took deep breaths to center himself. It was taxing for his energy reserves to help over 24 clones, but it was worth it; it felt worth it and it was the will of the Force as he so felt it. Another would have let the clones die and kept his strength for the battle to come, yet he wasn't going to fall prey to temptation. His duty came before anything else and his duty was to the Living Force. Personal glory, egoism, lust for power or recognition weren't thoughts he regularly banished; he accepted their natural character, their existence and he did not let them overrule his conscience or his mind.

He cast another glance at the wounded clones that were looking back at him with thankful gazes and his belief was reinforced.

Vice-Admiral Steffano was scanning the battlefield progress, as much as the scanners and sonars were able to pick up, with all that jamming in place. Many Republic fighter crafts and bombers had been taken out because of the lack of battlefield coordination and sheer opposing numbers. Whoever thought this strategy out knew how to play in the big leagues. Key pieces on the chess board, such as their two jedi commanders were separated and kept away from their key posts, while their flyers were stretched thin between Naboo and the space around the capital ships. They could neither retain air superiority on the planet, nor effectively combat landing craft and bombers heading towards it. With all their efforts combined, they still had five Separatist cruisers to take care of, as well as their fighter and bomber escorts. Plus the two cruisers that had jumped to hyperspace some time ago, destination unknown.

The experienced officer cursed. The two other Venator-class vessels would have helped them, but they were destroyed by those damned covert droids and that creepy voice on the transmission. Add to that the fact that most of the CR90s were out of comission thanks to droid kamikaze attacks and the picture looked grim.

Moreover, their comlink to the planet and captain Craig was also impeded by the enemy. No way to know if they were holding out or if the worst case scenario had come to life.

He sighed again. Given how ugly things looked, his children might just be orphaned today and his wife will tirelessly and uselessly wait for him to return, a blind spark of hope that would kill her soul day by day.

Shaking his head, the vice-admiral took another look at his DL-43 pistol, loaded it and then turned back towards the door.

" I feel you are worried, afraid, vice-admiral!" knight Erladin spoke, his gaze falling upon each and every one of the fifty soldiers barricaded on the bridge, wounded and able-bodied alike.

" How could I not be? We've been betrayed, played at! How else would the damned klankers know just when, where and how hard to hit us?"

The question hung in the air, vastly contributing to the overall anxiety. Distrust was something new to the 321st battalion. They did not know where to begin, what and whom to single out, whom to believe and how to handle this. They didn't think that either Nelo or Erladin did it, since they bled with them on the battlefields like true soldiers. But any clone could have done it. Clone sergeant Slick's betrayal of Skywalker's 501st is proof of that.

" How can you be so calm, master jedi? This is troubling enough without you being mysterious and all… or do you have something to share with us?" the officer asked with a tinge of suspicion in his voice, one that did not escape the ears of the others on deck.

" No, I am not calm! I may look like it, but I'm actually thinking all of this over. We need to get through this and bickering and distrusting each other only serves the sith!" the zabrak turned to all of them. " I for one do not want to hand them over the victory just yet! The troops on the planet will hold out, the space battle isn't lost yet and if we clear our ship and shake free, we may help our brothers out and save the day!" he used the Force to make his words sound a tad bit more convincing. The result was a manageable crew.

" Sir…you…are right! It's not worth it! We'll do our best!" one of the clone lieutenants said.

" I expect no less, brother! Now, I want everyone to arm themselves and aim at the doors. Take those that are wounded and find them some cover. Those of you who have tactical shields, move up front and form a semicircle around the entrance. The rest, take position inbetween!" the jedi ordered, as he himself went to the centre of the deck, where he had the best overlook.

" _And so it begins! May the Force be with us all!"_

The first five minutes were painstakingly long. His senses were partially dulled by some Force user, that much he could put together. Even so, he still felt how surviving clone squads were falling back towards the bridge area, their numbers getting thinner and thinner.

He could open the doors and march in to save them, but the same sith could get inside and butcher the troops while he was away. One with such sneaking abilities would certainly get in.

" At least one sith warrior is leading them!" he spoke to the troops. " Mark my words, they are hard to beat, so we need to work together and aim at their weakspots!"

" Do they even have weakspots?" on soldier asked, before being elbowed by his superior.

" Like any other being, obviously! Use blasters and use the opening in their defence, their dead view angles, hidden pistols, knives and coordinate. Don't take any of them on your own, but in large groups. We stand a good chance if we do all of this!"

Suddenly, one of the radio frequencies could be heard. One corporal reported that the two remaining squads were pinned down between the bridge and two large enemy attack waves; he was asking for backup.

" We have to open the doors…now!" the Vice-Admiral commented.

" If I go out there to rescue them we risk revealing ourselves and I may be cut off from the rest of you!" Erladin answered with a straight face. " Think it through and we'll do as we agree!"

Self preservation fought bitterly against compassion and camaraderie among them.

Ironically, they were spared the choice.

Something banged against the door. Again…and again. Ever harder with each strike, akin to a bettering ram.

All soldiers stopped speaking and aimed their guns at the last barrier separating them from whatever was out there.

The metal groaned under the increasing pressure and multiple dents could be seen forming on its surface.

With their fingers itching on their guns' triggers, the clones tried to chase away the thoughts of iminent death and make the most of their skills. Their toughtest battle was upon them.

And then the door was blown open…

 _ **Access corridor nr 21A…**_

After navigating through multiple hallways and cutting down unexpecting droid patrols, Nelo Hivaarr had reached corridor 21A, which lead to the upper level of the ship and the bridge itself.

Just like the other sectors, he found it full of scorch marks on the wall, failing lights, bodies and husks littered everywhere. Only difference was that he could actually hear the sounds of a battle not to far away ahead.

He stripped a few clones of their ammo. Three pistol clips, two EMPs and a normal grenade. He silently asked for forgiveness for this desecration, then moved on, hoping to save the day.

His Force-sped steps carried him up the stairway and into the middle of an all out trench war.

He could see the battered clone defenders taking cover behind walls, corners and some piled up super battle droids, used as barricades…clever.

On the other side- as in a couple of meters in front of him- there was a large wave of droids trying to break through the crumbling Republic defences.

Nelo ducked behind the wall again, activated his energy shield and activated his lightsaber. Taking some mental notes on where to strike, he took a few deep breaths and turned around.

Nelo snuck upon the rear guard of the droid wave, swiftly cutting down six super battle droids, before the others noticed him and began to turn around. He ducked, swung his lightsaber left and right in a blurry storm of golden punishment that cut through enemy after enemy. At the moment an active offensive was better than deflecting the laser fire. Even droids weren't stupid enough to friendly fire against each other.

Spurred by their commander's appearance, the remaining clones launched a full on volley on the enemy, knocking out klanker heads by the seconds and easing the pressure on Nelo.

The latter got hit twice as he maneuvered between a dozen enemy units, but his shield took the brunt of it, while he severed their bodies in two clean, rotating swipes.

In a matter of seconds, the corridor was finally clear of hostiles. The jedi padawan walked up to the leader of the clones and asked for a status report.

" There's another group guarding the other accessway to the bridge; they haven't answered our calls for backup!" the sergeant reported.

" What about the others? I sealed the entire left side, so you should have had an easier time handling the flow…" Nelo asked.

" The other squads are either dead or missing. Comms are all out. We seven here are the only ones left!"

" Alright! All of you, come with me! The bridge is under attack. Sith may be on board so be on the lookout and fire at them all at once. Look for weakspots and don't hesitate. Let's go!"

Even though the clones gulped at the mention of the enemy jedi, at what their magic may do, they nonetheless followed their commander. They stood a better chance regrouping, rather than holding down the forth there.

 _ **The bridge section…**_

The door was blown right open and five clone troopers were violently threwn into the navicomputers and stairway.

The clones opened fire without warning and the first incoming wave of normal battle droids was put out of commission. The second attack was thwarted as well, but Krav Erladin was on the lookout; it could not be that easy.

The third attack wave was a surprise to them all.

Twenty battle droids walked in and were being shot down, but then commando droids, armed with tactical shields, pistols and swords rushed in, striking at the right flank of the semicircle, while their reinforcements formed a barrier on their own right side. Clone after clone was killed or wounded and the remaining forces had to divide their firepower and attention towards both menaces.

Krav Erladin summoned up his Force energy, piled it up in a growing ball between his hands and released it upon the enemies on the doorstep…with devastating effects.

It bought his soldiers enough time to fall back and take position on the railings and stairs, using the height against the droids.

But the latter were the best the Separatists had, the epitome of their technology, and weren't so easy to put down.

The fight dragged on, the defenders' numbers dwindling, even as the jedi knight among them was cutting down head after head, husk after husk.

The enemy managed to take hold of the area near the entrance and reinforcements were pouring through, adding to the viciousness of the battle, as more and more husks and bodies littered the ground with each passing second.

Erladin was keeping a safe distance, since he did not possess his padawan's skill at Force Protection. He resorted to deflecting enemy fire, cutting down commando droids and throwing Force Pushes from time to time. His healing of the wounded had drained a good deal of his reserves.

Vice Admiral Steffano rushed to one of the wounded clones, taking one EMP grenade, which he then threw at the door. The shock knocked out quite a few hostile and their remains blocked access to the bridge.

Krav Erladin knew not to waste a good opportunity when it arose, neither did the clones.

He jumped over the friendly line and engaged in a fast Ataru and Makashi form in order to make the most of his short reprise. Less than a minute later, the bridge was cleared and he could see the damage: about half of his soldiers were still in action- things weren't looking good. And where in the Force was Nelo?

The husks blocking the way were shoved into a group of clones on the staircase, killing the poor souls instantly.

Two dark robed figures made their way in.

He immediately recognized them: the zabrak whose hand Nelo chopped off and the powerful masked acolyte.

" Greetings, Jedi!" the zabrak spoke first, not minding all the weapons aimed at her. " We bear a message from Count Dooku! You'd do well to hear us out!"

Knight Erladin could feel the Force around them tensing up for a confrontation. They were in the eye of the storm for now, but all could change in seconds. He may have to stall for his padawan to arrive.

" Oh? Wouldn't want to keep the Count waiting, with him being so lazy to show up in person!" he mocked the two dark jedi.

The masked one let out a small growl, but the one who spoke simply shrugged her shoulders and smiled.

" His choice, I guess! But I know what you're thinking: waiting for your apprentice to arrive." The accursed woman laughed lightly at his small frown. " It's him we want, actually!"

" You are an asset, a token, but a disposable one, nonetheless!" the other woman added on an icy tone.

" So what's your all too important message?" Erladin pushed.

" It's quite simple! Your padawan is a ticking Dark Side bomb that just needs to be triggered. His potential for evil is so great, that Count Dooku thinks he can be pitted against jedi knights and masters. He would be our new ultimate weapon, with all his knowledge of your Order, your Temple, your tactics…"

" You're wasting your time, cur! Our commander knows what loyalty is!" one of the clone soldiers interrupted Saato… a big mistake.

The said soldier was suddenly lifted into the air, his hands clawing at the invisible hand slowly constricting his neck area.

" My name is Saato and I don't like being interrupted!" a sickening sound was heard and the unfortunate ensign was dropped dead on the floor and she smiled, satisfied of herself. " Now that we got that out of the way…" three shots were fired at her, but they were stopped by the masked sith's quick reflexes.

" One who touches the true power that is the Dark Side of the Force will never relinquish it! Am I right, master jedi?" Inanna asked rethorically and Erladin was being silent, but to her, that was a sign she was striking home. " Your padawan has used those powers many times before, knowingly or not. It's only fair to have him join us and free him of your Order's _debilitating_ teachings!"

The jedi knight was silent for a couple of seconds in which he gathered his thoughts. The enemy was right. His padawan has used the forbidden power of Force Drain and due to his usage of Vaapad, he was walking an extremely dangerous line at the border between the two aspects of the Force. Besides that there was still the issue of his visions regarding Korriban and Darth Zannah. Sith ghosts were known to have preyed upon and tempted jedi towards their way of thinking, but records showed that they rarely tried that with those who didn't have the potential to switch sides. So Nelo being targeted by not one, but two sith lords, one long dead and another one staging a Galactic War wasn't looking that bright. Nevertheless, he had to do his best to keep his padawan from doing anything brash and guide him forward.

He snorted.

" As if he would trade this life, with all those _limitations,_ as you so put it, for an existence dominated by hate, power mongering, betrayal at every corner and endless rivalry for a master's attention. Then the killing of said master and beginning of a new cycle… plus all the countless dead innocents."

" I find it appealing!" Saato interrupted, her haughty smile plastered all over her face. " At least I won't bore myself every day. You're going to have to entartain me, guys, lest I begin to kill you all!"

Some of the clones laughed mirthlessly. If this was what they were supposed to fear, then how stupid could they actually be? Those mentally unstable women were beneath them, save for the lightsaber and mumbo-jumbo. They needed to overwhelm them, just like general Erladin suggested. The first enemy wasn't even fast enough to dodge those blaster bolts, so they did have a good chance.

Looking at each other and transmitting signals that only months of fighting together would instill in them, they opened fire on the sith ladies.

The masked one was the fastest.

She dodged the first volley, then engaged in a series of elaborate acrobatics and landed between the clone troopers, decreasing their group power. Her blood red lightsaber, a frightful contrast to the calm green colour of their general's weapon, landed killing blows left and right, while she herself kicked at the soldiers inbetween the each swing. She moved with the grace of the shadow kinrath, her limbs spinning and cutting the lifelines of those unlucky enough to approach her.

The one named Saato moved like a storm.

As opposed to her masked comrade, the zabrak was a butcher, her two lightsabers working in almost perfect unison in deflecting the incoming shots. She too jumped into the frey, engaging the clone troopers with deadly efficiency.

Krav Erladin would not let his soldiers die that day.

He released a powerful Force Push at the droids gathering at the door, before throwing a fallen clone's EMP grenades down the hall and thus blocking the way.

He chose to take out Saato. Between her being defeated by his padawan and her apparent lack of concentration, he hoped he could defeat her quick enough to tackle the other sith. He had to move both fast and careful and he hated the thought. Being brash led to mistakes; mistakes led to defeat and death.

" Look…at… all of you…HA! Pathetic people!" Saato shouted in mockery, as four more clones were felled by her swordsmansship. She was ready to behead the next pair of clones, when her lightsabers were suddenly blocked. So the jedi finally decided to act.

Saato fell back and engaged into her Shien Jar'kai combination against the enemy's Soresu and Makashi styles. She knew that her attacks weren't the classiest or the most elaborate, but since that blasted padawan cut down her arm, she was did not overextend herself. Moreover, that unfortunate incident had led to her receiving a replacement in the form of a beskar limb that was hard enough to resist lightsaber damage and she could hold a better grip on the handle of her own weapon.

Erladin tried to bait her out into overextending, but the sith had learned her lesson since Corellia; he had to give her that. Instead, he used the duelist form Makashi to strike at her middle area. It had the desired effect, her attacks being forced into a scrambled defence, as he pushed his way through, but then changed tactics. He pressed his lightsaber left and right, managing to destabilize her. He deactivated his weapon and hurled her into the far away wall with a strong Force Push, knocking her out cold.

Inanna, on the other hand, handled herself pretty well. She cut down twice the number of clones and was in the process of reaching the vice-admiral, when the Force whispered a warning into her ear and she ducked. A milisecond later, a green lightsaber swiped the air where her neck previously stood.

Smiling viciously behind her mask and her yellow eyes sparkling, Dooku's favorite acolyte welcomed the challenge. Another jedi knight to fell, more skills and prestige to gain. She now understood General Grievous's passion for that collection of his.

She struck.

He fell back, not expecting such a strong riposte. This acolyte was obviously the better of the pair. If anything, he thought Saato was more of an extra, compared to this masked character.

They exchanged many blows of various intensity. He noted the way she used a skillful, elegant Makashi form, reminiscent of her master during his time at the Jedi Temple. Before all this chaos began, Dooku was one of the battlemasters teaching combat techniques to those worthy enough. Grandmaster Yoda appreciated his input. How ironic that his input was now working against them!

Her strikes were unpredictable. The strength of her blows was also fluctuating, probably to keep him off balance and avoid showing a pattern. She seemed to know when he would exploit a weakness in her defence and that was…unsettling.

Knight Erladin fell back into his Soresu, the guard lock move, thus staying clear of her flurry of strikes. Of course, he could not stay like this forever, as the other sith may wake up at one point and join in. As ashamed as he was of admitting it, he knew that Nelo was the only one able to break the tie and tip the scales in his favour.

On the other side, Inanna knew that he was just holding her back until her beloved arrived. It would be a _sight_ to see and _the time_ to see whom he was loyal, whom he would stay true to. Would he stay true to her and their sentiments? Or would he stubbornly deny their happiness and remain a weak, lonely, despised jedi?

However, they too had an ace up their sleeve, should things go FUBAR on them. Naboo was about to be taken and Theed lay in shambles; so did the Republic fleet around the planet. They had achieved almost all their goals.

She tried to break through his Soresu, but she had to give credit where it was due: this jedi knew his way around, unlike many others. Still it was a matter of time and sharpness of the mind.

The remaining twelve able bodied clones fell back to the highest platforms, taking position around the vice-admiral to protect him from the sith. They had both sith in their scopes, but they wouldn't fire. They risked hitting their general one one hand, on the other, the second sith was out cold and maybe they could take her for interrogation. They hated standard protocol.

 _ **Nelo…**_

He hoped he wasn't too late to stop a tragedy. Crossing the corridor wasn't so difficult, but getting to the bridge was, as he soon found out.

Someone had been clever enough to fill what had been the access doors with droid husks and thus block the way in. Closing his eyes, the padawan could finally feel the presence of his master, currently battling… _Inanna._

He gasped, but tried to calm himself down and focus. He stretched out his senses again and picked up Saato's signature and felt she was about to wake up with one heck of a headache. His master would be in deep trouble fighting those two alone.

The other seven clones opened fire on the droids on the other side of the hall. The element of surprise worked in their favour, so after a short firefight, the way was clear.

Nelo ran towards the other side to check if any of the clones had made it, but was saddened to find corridor 21B full of dead bodies, not just shot, but dismembered, beheaded. He had to make an effort not to fall on the floor right there and then.

" _What in the hell is going on? This has never happened before! This has all been a giant disaster, a tragedy without margins. How could they have routed us like this, dividing and conquering us? Where did we miss?"_

It was difficult, but after a minute he had gathered himself up. His morale was still affected, but him not acting now would lead to more suffering, so he had no choice.

He reached out with the Force and yanked the droid barrier out, clearing the way for him and the clones to get in and gaze upon the war that had engulfed the bridge.

To the left and right, up on some of the platforms and plastered all over the stairs and windows were droid parts and human parts, bodies and traces of blood and oil.

Saato lay down still, but he felt her waking up. Maybe he should put her to rest…forever. The thought was very tempting and he felt a creeping, cold aura slowly seeping from that inner barrier her was holding every day. It had to be his accursed Dark Side making a face, but he would no give in. Striking downed opponents wasn't honourable, but cowardly, not worthy of an afterthought.

Nelo focused his eyes on his love instead.

Inanna hadn't even used her Dark Rage and she was handling his master with no apparent trouble. She had gotten strong, but this strong was borderline deadly…even for him.

He hesitated for a second, not knowing if he should try to get her to stop or just attack her like that. There were too many people around for them to get too personal.

" I see you've arrived, Nelo dear!" her now ghastly voice spoke up, her back at him, as she concentrated on disengaging from his master.

" I've come to stop this madness! Too many people have died today. This ends here!" he answered, mustering his courage to counter her. To emphasize this, he activated his lightsaber, the gold mixing with the eerie red and the calming green in a rainbow that predicted a fight for days to come.

" Beloved padawan, would you strike at my back like a traitor? After everything?" Inanna knew that she was speaking too much of their time together, but every enemy on the bridge would die today and Count Dooku knew anyway. She had to keep her eyes on the goal… on _him._

" Beloved? Everything?" his master scrunched his face both in disgust at the idea and in the effort of throwing her off. " Care to tell me what's going on?"

" _Seed doubt and reap imbalance. Divide and conquer."_ Inanna thought as she prepared herself for what was to come.

Inside her mind and deep within her being, a small spark- what was left of her conscience- was screaming out to stop all of this, but she paid it no mind. The plan was going well and they were too far gone.

" I would, but I reckon it's not the right place. And don't worry, my loyalties are immovable, master!" he answered, before launching himself at her.

Not really expecting him to act so level-headed, Inanna had to break off her duel in order to parry the swing at her back. Turning around, she replied with a Force Kick, but Nelo anticipated that and parried it with his hand, then moved his lightsaber in an upper strike. Blocking that with difficulty, she fell back a few steps and engaged in her orderly Makashi form, baiting him to make a mistake.

Hivaarr was no fool. He had knowledge of the main lightsaber styles, even if he didn't use them in his duels. And he knew her, for they have fought a few times. His energy reserves needed to be replenished soon and his Force Absorb might just be enough, should Inanna choose to wield her lightning or what else.

The clones that came with him made their way to Saato, stun-shooting her, before cuffing her up.

Inanna caught a glimpse of what they were doing and she fell back a few steps, then extended her left hand in their direction. Blue veins showed up on her face and her yellow eyes shone brighter than ever. Second later, a wave of lightning sprung from her fingertips and struck the unexpecting soldiers. Their bodies convulsed under the merciless power clawing at their very being.

Enraged, Vice-Admiral Steffano ordered his warriors to open fire on Inanna and Saato. They had to take them down, no more capturing; they were to dangerous to be left alive.

Erladin jumped out of the way as a barrage of laser fire came from the crew. The Dark Acolyte was no fool and did the same, then proceeded to block and deflect the shots, taking out some of the clone warriors. But he didn't let her breathe, as he threw his lightsaber at her midsection.

The Force screamed at Inanna to get out of the way and she used her feline like agility to jump over the deadly weapon headed her way. However, the enemy managed to hit her in the upper thigh and left arm. Enraged at being hit by those lab creatures, she rolled back and summoned her Dark Rage, enveloping herself in the empowering incarnation of the Dark Side.

Her speed and agility increased and the pained was numbed. She threw her hands forward and unleashed another, more powerful wave of Force Lightning at the enemy soldiers.

Much to everyone's surprise and her dismay, Nelo jumped in the way, his arms glowing a bright ocean blue. The lightning was dancing on his arms in coils, like it would on an electrical transformer. The glow quickly extended to the rest of his body, as he channeled the outburst into his own reserves.

Behind him, the clones cheered and opened fire on her again and she had to break off her attack. Not sooner than that was she attacked by his master, but Inanna handled herself well, tiring his master with pinpoint, faster than meets the eye kind of attacks. The normal person would see a blurr of red and green dancing at high velocity.

She managed to graze his sides twice, but they were only fleshwounds. Still the sting destabilized him enough to mess up his rhythm. The Soresu wasn't enough to handle things.

But he didn't have to worry too much, thankfully, as Nelo crashed his body into hers and landed a kick in her chest.

The acolyte was thrown in the durasteel wall, slumping down beside Saato, who was just waking up.

" Last chance at surrender!" Krav Erladin shouted as he ordered the remaining 10 clones to form up around the targets.

" Surrender is for the weak!" Inanna shot back with defiance.

" Fools! We sith always plan ahead!" Saato's smug voice made itself heard.

Before either Nelo or Erladin could inquire, horrible screams were heard behind them.

The remaining clones were being slaughtered by… a clone wielding a saberstaff.

" _DAMN! A sleeping cell tactic!"_ Erladin cursed, as he turned to face him.

The enemy cut everyone down in mere seconds, his skill at handling that difficult weapon being more than impressive. Even Vice-Admiral Steffano lost his right arm as he tried to shoot the wretch in the back.

Erladin blocked his sword and used a Force Push to send him away. Risking a look at the wounded, he knew most of them didn't stand a chance at survival. His worst fears had come true: he had missed the sneakier of the enemies.

" You're going to pay for killing her!" the enemy removed his helmet, revealing his identity. He was half of the chiss duo that had wreaked havoc on Felucia, crushing the Republic garrison there. If he said that she died, it meant that the battallion had claimed her life. A pity…a necessity.

He did not answer, but goaded the enraged chiss into attacking him.

They clashed and the jedi knight knew he had to switch styles quicker than he was used to. The saberstaff itself was an unorthodox weapon, since less than one in twenty jedi was using it. Moreover, it seemed like Count Dooku taught him not to stick to one predictable style, but move like a violent current.

Erladin changed his Soresu for Shien and the other way around. He would sometimes engage in a Makashi to try to sever the staff's hilt, but to no avail.

Behind him, Nelo was confronted with not one, but two dangerous ladies, hellbent on spilling blood that day.

He took a more defensive posture, falling back into the Vaapad form. His body emanated much Force energy, but he had to spend it, lest he might come down with Force Sickness or a Burnout… and that would have been deadly.

Inanna was the first to pounce, as Saato was still recovering from the stun.

He calmly waited for her to get in range. A Force Shield enveloped him as he made to stab her right in the heart.

She was surprised by the move, but nonetheless parried it. The Dark Rage manifested itself yet again and the two Force Users, lovers and enemies clashed in a brillience of lights, the auras that weeks ago brought them both balance were now more antagonistic than ever.

As that twi-lek girl back on Coruscant would put it: the red angel vs. the golden angel. Dark Side vs. Light Side. Criminal and Warden.

His shield stood fast, as her ever quicker strikes graze against it. He himself scored quite a few hits, but the Rage was doing its job. If he were smart about it, he'd hold out and absorb her attacks, while that power will cannibalize her reserves.

He dashed to the right, avoiding Saato's assault, then turned around to meet Inanna's. Holding his lightsaber with both hands, he pushed hard against her, teeth clenching and brow sweating from the effort.

Inanna fell back, allowing the dathomiri with to take over. She stopped for a second to plan ahead, knowing the other two wouldn't stand a chance against Nelo. And his master was an unwelcome addition to the equation. Perhaps removing that nuisance would smooth things up.

Vandalor hated admitting that his opponents were better than him. The tired jedi was no pushover and because he was so enraged at Tann's death, he couldn't think straight. And he had to watch it, so his staff wouldn't be cut in half like Darth Maul's.

He landed an unexpected Force Kick in Erladin's ribs, sending him flying into the transparisteel window, jumped after him and made to impale him.

Erladin knew he had to get up, but something was holding him down.

Someone, he noticed with a quick glance at the masked acolyte.

He moved his lightsaber to intercept, but Vandalor shifted the weight of the attack, rotated his weapon and cut the knight's hand off, while also leaving an ugly wound across his mid torso, all the way up to the left shoulder. He couldn't resist screaming.

…

And that scream would haunt Hivaarr for the rest of his days.

He nearly froze hearing it, so much so that his barrier wavered and Saato managed to stab him in the left shoulder. He violently kicked her away, but the damage was done: he lost control of his left arm and the pain shook his body like a hurricane.

" So wild!" Inanna purred. " I see the fire in your eyes, the dark thoughts…!" she spoke mirthfully.

" **Inanna! SHUT UP!"** he shouted and extended his working hand, a Force Wave colliding into an unexpecting Vandalor, crushing him against one of the navicomputers.

A jump and he was beside his master, inspecting the horrid wounds with his one hand, ignoring his own pain. The stump that was now his right arm was cauterized, but the slash over his body was not. Much blood was flowing from it.

" This can't be happening! Master, stay awake! I promise we'll get through this!" he spoke with a trembling voice, while the three sith watched with satisfaction from a distance.

" Nelo dear!" Erladin raised his left hand to cup his padawan and longtime friend's cheek in a fatherly manner. " Stay alive and do not…avenge me! The Galaxy needs you, your family…your…friends need you! Do…not give in…to hate!" his hand was trembling, but Nelo caught it, gripping it.

" I won't let you die!" he started channeling his Force energy into his body to heal him.

Jedi Knight krav Erladin had made peace with his thoughts and demons. One by one, he was paying mental respects to all those he treasured and begged for forgiveness for those he had failed. He felt the cool, urgent aura of his padawan filling his body, attempting at closing the wounds and relished in it… even though it was futile. A lung had been cut and so were many ribs and arteries. He was entering shock and was losing too much blood. Poor Nelo… he tried so hard. It was time to say goodbye.

" Remember… there is no death…!" he started, before feeling drawn into the afterlife.

" …there is the Force!" he finished the last line in the Jedi Code, as he shed tears for his master, now regretting all the trouble he had put him through all those years.

Saato was feeling extatic. To see him suffer for that wound and the humiliation she had caused her on Corellia was truly wonderful.

And Vandalor, who was still recovering from that powerful push, laughed like a maniac. His lover's dead was avenged. As he rose up and approached the padawan and his dead master, he was tempted to end the former, against Count Dooku's wishes.

Of the three sith, Inanna was the only one conflicted. Now that the bridge was clean, the battle about to be won and with his master dead, Nelo would be easy to sway or capture. Sure, she didn't like seeing him grieve, for it reminded her too much of her old self. But without the horrid experience she went through, she wouldn't have made it a sith. And she was proud of herself.

She chose to approach him, intent on breaking this moment of weakness and making him understand that his best chances lay with her. After the painful beginning, she would show her love, cherish him and every moment they'd have at their disposal. Finally, no more jedi crap getting in their way, no more _duty_ to others but to herself as his mistress and lover.

She grinned, taking one step after another, flanked by the other two acolytes, encircling him.

" It's over Nelo! Come with me and we'll get over this!" her voice wasn't alluring, but truly sincere. For her, it was a wish come true.

The other two exchanged glances but chose to stay silent. Incurring her wrath at this point, not to mention Count Dooku's later on, would be…detrimental.

A deafening silence was cast upon the bridge section, only interrupted by a weak whimper from the wounded or circuits sparkling. Outside, the droids were shooting down the remaining X-Wings.

 _Inside himself, Nelo felt like a paper boat in a rising whirlpool. The storm behind the door he always kept closed was eating at the lock, at the hinges, at the frame, weakening it and weakening it._

 _He heard Inanna's words and knew them to be honest and twisted at the same time. She was sickeningly egoistic and taunting. Did she think she was tempting him, alluring him?_

" _**I see that I was right!"**_ _Darth Zannah's voice boomed all around him._ _ **" I told you she was pure Dark Side material"**_

" _Stop!" he spoke through clenched teeth. He tried to handle all the pressure, all the hate, the resentment, the feeling of uselessness eating at him at once._

" _**And why should I? Unlike you jedi, I don't speak half-truths and certain perspectives. You, my descendent, are running low on energy. That which you absorbed is fading and you can't possibly take all of them head on."**_ _Her figure suddenly materialized in front of him, extending her hand._ __ _In her hand was a metal key. He knew what she meant._ _ **" The way I see it, you've got three choices: you surrender, but no self-respecting sith would do that; you join them, even if you risk Sidious going after you… or…!"**_

" _Or I open that figurative door and use the Dark Side to kill my enemies. Is that what you wish?" he shouted back, but she seemed unfazed._

" _**Darling, you said it, not me! Your thoughts are easy to read.**_

" _And what do you get out of this? There's always a price, always a motive!"_

" _**AHA! Gooood, sharp as ever! The Dark Side needs men like you, Nelo. But I need my revenge. I need you to be my punishing arm, my weapon. You will exert my will and in exchange, I will let you bring justice upon this putrid Galaxy. Yes, I actually want that too! Now make your choice!"**_

" _You won't tell me what to do! It is my power, my body, my soul, my mind, not yours! You are an intruder, an unwanted guest lingering in me like the plague you are. Nothing more!" he replied, as he looked at her with disgust._

 _Darth Zannah, for all the self-control she had to learn over the centuries, lashed out at him, using his own energies to crush his will and take over. Nelo, however, gazed at the key in her hand and concocted a plan. His being was going through some radical changes, like knocking on Death's door. With much concentration and acting skills, he pretended to give up, taking the key from the now calmer and prouder Sith Lord. He made to open the metaphizic locks holding his known and unknown inner terrors back._

 _Tendrils of evil seeped through the opened barrier, enveloping his body. He screamed from the sudden change in Force Aspects and energy infusion, while his would be master and ancestor was close by, watching everything with anticipation._

 _But, as always, betrayal was the way of the sith and Hivaarr wasn't about to let her forget that. So, when she was least expecting it, he reached out, a parasitic ray collding with her apparition, draining her power and bringing her closer to him._

" _I'd say I might miss your so called advice and all. But I'd lie to myself!" he said with a growing tinge of malice in his voice._

 _Panicked, the sith lord looked around as the environment she was projecting was falling apart. The padawan was crazed enough to steal her powers and send her to the oblivion that awaited beyond the Force. Her memories flashed before her eyes and she was sure he could see them; or at least part of them. One more reason to despise him._

" _**Stop this madness, you idiot! You have so much power and no knowledge or practice to reign it in!" she desperately called out to him, to which he simply puffed and then laughed it off.**_

" _Showing weakness in front of your enemy is a grave mistake!" he bellowed, to which she struggled again, as another tendril squeezed her some more._

" _**I consider… you… my apprentice… not my enemy!"**_

" _Oh? And aren't apprentices supposed to kill their masters, just like your maniac master instituted, hm? Just like you did…!" confronted with her silence, he merely shrugged and threw her in the very prison he just opened._

Then he turned his attention back to the real world, exiting the trance.

He was still hugging his dead master's body with his one working hand. The other he couldn't feel. But by now he couldn't feel any pain, only a tear in the fabric of his soul…and his mind.

He could feel the three enemies approaching. Many gruesome scenarios flashed through his head. Inanna, his beloved, his soon to be _former beloved_ , was smiling a mere few steps away.

The three sith acolytes were waiting anxiously for his answer. Having encircled him, he had no way out and only two ways to go: dead or prisoner.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the padawan realised the futility of holding on to his stupid teacher and turned around to face them.

Inanna felt pure terror as a pair of evil golden eyes stared at her. Then came the smirk and then he activated his lightsaber: it was blood red.

 _ **Disclaimer**_

 _ **All credits go to George Lucas and Lucasarts.**_

 _ **This time a double chapter, to help you people cope until I finish the next two chapters.**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

 _ **Don't forget to favorite, follow and leave your reviews. I appreciate it!**_


	31. CH 32: Blood and Tears

**CH 32: Blood and Tears**

 **[Song Suggestion: Mondtraume-Life is Short]**

It was instinct, pure instinct. If she wasn't paying attention to the whispers of the Force, Inanna would have died right there. Instead, as Nelo looked at her with his murderous sith-like gaze and activated his lightsaber, she jumped as far as she could.

The other two were slower or didn't get the picture.

Vandalor sensed the threat and wanted to end it before the fallen padawan attacked him. Saato, as always, was overconfident in her abilities, so she waited for Nelo to make his first move.

And just like they had decimated the Republic that day, he would rip them apart.

There was an eerie silence going through his soul at that moment, as if nothing mattered anymore. His mind alone was preparing scenario after scenario, analyzing the environment and different possibilities at unbelievable speeds. Risks and rewards, escape routes, patterns, results, variations…everything. It was as if he was using high-end stims…more than that. He felt his inhibitions disappear in the blink of an eye and his moral standards were sinking rapidly into his abyss.

Vandalor was the first to go, because he killed master Erladin.

The chiss had the sense to be prepared, but it did him no good, because Nelo parried his strike, then proceeded to land his own, heavy counterattacks. Unbeknownst to him, he manifested symptoms of heavy Force use. His veins were getting more pronounced and his body was enveloped in Dark Rage, increasing his prowess.

Vandalor rotated his saberstaff a few times, trying to destabilize the cursed padawan. He couldn't believe his eyes: the kid was holding that much power back? And minutes ago, he was a goodie-two-shoes, a dog of a jedi. Plus, he was fighting with only one hand, seeing as Saato had messed up his left shoulder. This day was getting freakier and freakier by the seconds, even by his standards.

No matter what Count Dooku had commanded of them or what Inanna might say, he was taking him down. The vile, feral look in his now golden eyes spewed trouble and the other two were too gobsmacked to act. Women!

Vandalor extinguished one end of his staff and extended his hand, firing sith lightning at the padawan, whilst approaching to cut him down. One of his skills was multitasking, so if the brat would actually absorb the shot, then Vandalor would cut down his arm.

Nelo parried with his blood red sword, the deadly power coiling down the plasma and shocking him more and more. He thought of using Absorb, but strangely, he couldn't. Moreover, he saw the cur getting closer and taking a strike.

He let his instincts and the Dark Side work for him.

Instead of the usual blueish aura, his body emanated a vampiric red, draining the Force Attack. But it didn't stop there! The barely visible claws spread out, biting the acolyte's body like a spider, sucking out his vital energy.

Vandalor couldn't believe it. His movements were getting sluggish. His lightsaber had stopped centimeters from the enemy's shoulder. Then he saw it: the maddening look of someone steeped so deep into the dark that they became its puppets. So lost, that they didn't even realise.

" Damn it you two!" he shouted, struggling to break free of the Force Drain. Do something!"

Saato realised it was serious and jumped into the frey. Still smirking in her mind, she aimed for a literal disarmament, but a well placed side kick collided with her face, sending her railing into a board computer. Swearing, she tried to use Force Stasis on Nelo, but to no avail. He shook off her effort like it was a leaf in the wind. It did, however, weaken his hold on Vandalor, who managed to back away, panting and coughing.

" If you think that was the best of me, you are mistaken! You won't leave this ship alive!" his now thicker and eerie voice rang across the room.

" Padawan! You think a few Dark Side tricks picked up here and there would save you from the three of us? Stupid child!" Saato retorted with disdain, before advancing on him. Vandalor chose to join her. Inanna, however, was hesitant.

" The three judges are now two. Soon there will be one… then none left!"

Nelo used a Force Push on Vandalor, stopping him in his jump. He fell flat on his back. Turning his attention to Saato, he immitated her smirk and threw his lightsaber at her.

The acolyte jumped over the sword, rotated and tried to destroy its hilt, but suddenly found herself pulled forward by the cursed padawan. His hand was death gripping hers, squeezing and squeezing until she couldn't move her lightsaber… and damn was she close to cutting him down. His grip was stronger than normal, and even though her new artificial hand was top quality, she could not wrest herself free.

" How fitting of you to be the first!" he tilted his head to the left, squeezing harder, as the vampiric claws latched on to her arms, her shoulders, legs, neck and heart. Like a pack of eels, like a swarm of spiders, they began draining her Force energy quicker than normal. The feeling was akin to two thousand needles penetrating her skin and extracting her blood.

Her pain tolerance was high. The nightsisters had taught her well, Count Dooku added to that and battle experience honed it even more. But this _freak_ was challenging that.

Clenching her teeth, she looked into his eyes and saw nothing but pure dark side reincarnation. Evil, merciless, trance like state driving the boy against them all. To her shame, she also saw the frightened and desperate reflection of her face, which elicited a smirk on his stupid face.

With a monumental effort, Saato channeled her own Force Drain into her left hand and gripped his shoulder, her claws digging into the armor he was wearing.

Hivaarr didn't wait for her to get her strength back. He pulled her against him, propped his right foot on her ribcage, then pressed with all his weight and with the Force, painfully pinning her down on the floor.

Shifting himself, he grabbed her artificial hand with both his hands, then pulled at it with monstrous power.

Saato screamed as she felt the circuitry of her hand flicking and failing. Her right shoulder and arm hurt like hell, not to mention her ribs. They were broken and pressing against her vital organs on the point of puncturing them. Cursing him and his Force-augmented powers.

" Damn you to hell and back, Nelo Hivaarr!" she managed to speak between her high pitched screams.

He pulled harder and harder and twisted left and right until her artificial arm was out of the question…and its socket. Stopping his onslaught for a minute, he looked at the thing with fascination, studying the twitching fingers and the occasional sparks, then moving his gaze to the bleeding hole it left behind and finally at her again.

" You've already damned me… all of you!" he reprimanded them, while pocketing the acolyte's lightsaber. " But I will get back at you and the rest of the Separatists!" he laughed maniacly. " Now Saato dear, how 'bout giving me a hand?" he waved hers inches away from her face. " But a genuine one, ok?"

That voice brought shivers down her spine and terror into her soul. She tried to Force Push him off of her, but another shove kept her down and squirming. Next, he pressed his knees on her chest, his hands grabbing her shoulder and forehead.

" Now my dear, be a good pet and stay down! I promise this will be over in a second!" he taunted her as his vampiric powers clawed their way into the rest of her life force. His left hand was trailing down her face in a very gentle way and he neared his face to hers, just as she felt the sleep tugging at her senses.

Much to Inanna's disbelief and anger, Nelo kissed the dathomirian deeply on the lips, draining the last bits of her power, finally killing her. He even _enjoyed it!_

Enraged, she jumped at him, but the padawan met her attack with a Soresu parry, doubling his efforts by using the dead sith's lightsaber as an offhand.

" It's so good feeling my hand again! The other one was getting tired!" he smirked. The shine in his now sith eyes was haunting her. She had to put an end to this. What was happening was beyond unnatural.

Inanna dashed to the side and landed a powerful strike on his guard stance, messing his balance and grazing his torso. The effect was mitigated by his own form of Dark Rage.

" WHAT?" she shouted in surprise as the aura was engulfing her. " Nobody taught you; this isn't just some parlor trick you pick up!"

He watched her with something akin to… pity and a bit of morbid curiosity. She didn't like the madman's look he was harboring since his master's death. Had that event really triggered this side of him?

" Why do _you_ care which powers I use?" a mirthless chuckle and he continued, taking a few steps forward. " Worried I might gut you, my little princess?"

Nelo's lightsabers switched hands repeatedly, like he was juggling toys, not deadly weapons. He watched his own, which had turned red minutes ago. Fascinating. His gaze lingered on the ozone sparks, to the hilt and then to Saato's near skeletal body. Just like the leftovers of a fly on a webbing… alluring.

Inanna took a few steps to the right. The sight of her fellow acolyte lying there, dead and rotten, just like her soul had been… It should have made her happy, but…

Look at him acting like an animal. This was not the boy that stole her blackened heart months ago. This was not the caring, loving person that she so sweetly kissed all those times, bringing balance to their souls. He was not the one with whom she had planned a future together.

No! she shivered. This was something else altogether.

" You are shivering… yeeees, trembling!" his cold, low voice pierced the deafening silence on the bridge section. He turned around slowly, narrowing his gaze, before meeting hers. " Are you afraid?" a kid's voice seemed to reach her, how odd.

She froze right there on the spot. What was going on was beyond her. If he was capable of these things and more, she might not be able to best him. Only her better mastery of powers and her training and dicipline might offer her a chance to prevail. Hoping he hasn't learned any other tricks and that he was weakened, Inanna engaged him on the spot.

He reeled back from the ferocity of the attack, using many weak parries to escape her strong swings. Likely waiting for her to make a mistake, she mused. They changed between styles as quick as the eye could record. A deadly dance between two betrayed lovers; each broken heart seeking to shatter the leftover pieces of the other.

Meanwhile, Vandalor had managed to gather himself up from the floor and drained three of the wounded clones to death for their energy. Rejuvenated, he pounced on Nelo from behind.

Inanna saw her fellow acolyte move in and so she pressed on, pushing Nelo's guard up and closer to his body, but the frenzied teen somehow sensed the danger. He crouched, dashing to the right, so much so that the two sith nearly struck each other.

" Idiot! Watch where you're going!" she admonished the chiss male. " We need to work together! He's a walking storm, so don't go berserking or you'll end up like her!" she grabbed his collar and turned his head to Saato's now decaying remains; not a welcome sight to behold.

" Who put you in charge?" he pushed her away, reactivating both ends of his weapon. He turned back to the now silent padawan. " Just because you are his girlfriend doesn't make you any better at handling this!" he shouted back at her.

Nelo did not feel bad at all. Only a bit off, as if he was drunk, or spiced. It didn't faze him in the least that he had taken a life in pure cruelty and with sith ways. In the end, all those matters were as trivial to him as was his relationship towards Inanna. She didn't ever stop to question her ways, to question how she might end up hurting him or those he held dear. The Force was whispering in his ear right there and then that she held master Erladin down for Vandalor to kill him.

 _She smirks, she rejoices and hopes to have you submit to her every whim and wish. Her love for you is as fake as a desert illusion._

Once, he would have rebutted the whispers, valiantly pursuing the most empathic way, the best, be it jedi or humane way, but the loss of his master and his brothers in the 321st hurt so much, that he had to wallow in ignorance, in coldness to dull it.

He was weak. He had been too weak and was still somehow holding back.

 _Mercy and hesitation only work against you. You keep hanging on to them, to lies, illusions, misguided honour and you won't unlock your true potential! Master Erladin and the others might have lived, had you not spared the wretched whore standing in front of you!_

Nelo's head was swimming in a shadowy sea of despair, where a thousand spines were pressing against his mind, stabbing and retreating. The motion was painstakingly repetitive, neverending, the wounds themselves negligable. He felt like screaming, but no words or sounds would come out of his mouth; the vibrations of his vocal chords were nonexistant and his lips would not move. No sound could be heard and his eyes were so useless that even his body's image was left unseen. Or was this his conscience? Who was in control of his body and how come he was speaking? Did he choose these words or were they the rotten fruits of his trance?

Unbeknowst to him, his body was acting up. Guided like a puppet, it moved with unparalleled precision, bringing new, creative moves into the fight with the sith, not to mention powers that he shouldn't have been able to wield.

Vandalor saw that his opponent was phasing out, judging it to be a Force burnout. He didn't take any risks and attacked him with a spinning strike, the saberstaff rotating like a deadly ventilator.

Inanna was watching in terrified awe as the red plasma beams were about to cut him down… Her dear padawan… how did all of this get so wrong, so messed up? After being so cruel and merciless, moreso than her, he was about to die like a dog.

Just as the lower blade was about to make contact with his torso, Nelo caught the beam with his left hand, squeezing like there was no tomorrow. The Force Rage was the evil equivalent of his Force Protect and he liked that. It would come in handy, he smirked.

Vandalor added his right hand to the hilt and rotated it again, aiming to slice his arm off with the upper blade, but Nelo caught that one too. The turned padawan looked at him with eyes of haunted gold, used a Force Kick on his chest, thus crashing him in the faraway wall. With one swift motion, he threw the staff like it was a spear, nailing him to the wall.

One sith acolyte screamed, his right lung and a _lot_ of his ribs burned by his own weapon.

Another sith fell to her knees, paralized by a fear she couldn't explain.

" How does it feeeeeeel, Vandalor? Mmmm? To have a lightsaber stabbing you?" Nelo closed in on him, very, very slowly. " Do you feel the fear?"

" I don't have fears!" the enemy answered through grinding teeth.

Hivaarr paused for a second, then inclined his head and smiled with his eyes closed.

" Yes, yes! You are so brave, you knight in rotting armor! And you are right, all I feel is anticipation. Anxious to die and join your beloved in the abyss?"

That seemed to flare the male acolyte more than anything; even the lightsaber piercing him at the moment. With a monumental effort, he reached the handle and shut it off, slumping to the floor in the process and breathing with much difficulty.

" YOU…LEAVE…HER…OUT OF THIS!" he shouted back and tried to stand up.

Hivaarr had the nerve to actually _clap_ at him and his struggles.

" Ah, another emotion…" he closed his eyes to feel the Force around him. " Looks like lingering affection, rests of a passion as hot as Tatooine's twin suns… Interesting!" he opened his evil eyes again and his voice turned as cold as the deepest ravines of Hoth. " I will enjoy maiming what's left of her body, give the bones to the beasts of Naboo and the ashes to the livestock to roll in it and…

" SHUT UP BITCH!" Vandalor blasted him with a Force Push mixed with Force Lightning, managing to crush Nelo into a transparisteel window.

He wanted to do more, but Inanna had the presence of spirit to grab him by the shoulders and make a run for it, jamming doors behind them with the Force, as they tried to reach their cruiser.

She had felt the currents of the Force and had heard the whispers of the Dark Side. It spoke of him as a new, more powerful and more useful serveant than all off Dooku's apprentices. If she was to hazard a guess, the enraged padawan would follow them as soon and possible and even try to go after their master, if not now, then later.

It was a disaster!

Meanwhile, back on the bridge, Nelo Hivaarr gathered himself up and concentrated on his enemies' signatures. They were fleeing, Inanna dragging his master's killer after herself. How cute and attentive of her! His heart could melt… _and hopefully drown her in it!_

For a second, he looked at his master's inert body and then approached him. Seeing him like that hurt and somehow his last words were haunting him. Sparing himself a glance in the window, he saw how his eyes burned with revenge and how his veins were turning blue, while his body was tensed like an animal's.

" I'm sorry, master! I disappointed you…more than once!" he touched his Erladin's now cold forehead. " But I will bring those sith down with me, no matter what, even if I may as well die trying!" he struggled through the darkness of his mind to say those words, before returning to his hunt.

They were on his ship, which he knew like the palm of his hand. They were in his territory. This ought to be fun!"

 _ **Author's note:**_

 _ **Copyright where it's due: LucasArts for Star Wars and Mondtraume for the music.**_

 _ **The Dark Side prevails, as the weaknesses of the jedi and the Republic slowly come to surface. Nelo is the victim of a plot bigger than anyone'd ever have thought possible. Will Naboo be saved? Will Inanna escape him or her master? And what would Anakin do, when he stumbles upon the tragedies?**_

 _ **Find out in the next chapter of A Madman's innocence!**_

 _ **Reviews and Improvements are appreciated***_


	32. CH33: Bitter Victory

**CH33: Bitter victory**

 _ **Outside the ruins of Theed, capital city of Naboo…**_

Warchief Ooobut Ganguu ordered the catapults to fire another wave of EMP shells at the enemy positions. The Gungan nation was right to buy those kind of weapons: safe from friendly fire and hard hitting on the mechanized enemies.

The projectiles hit 6 enemy tanks and the droids around them, opening a large dent in their formation. It was the perfect oportunity for an attack to take the pressure off of the queen's city.

" Missa thinkin ita be gud to send Kaadu strike!" he told his subordinates, who then went about their duties.

About three hundred beasts, each mounted by two gungans armed with electro-spears, firearms and grenades began their charge downhill, while the catapults cleared more and more of the enemy formations.

The Separatists were caught unprepared and between two fronts. Their commanders had lost contact with the Dark Jedi sent to decapitate the Republic HQ. That meant that they had to keep fighting and try to get the city and Naboo under control with what they had. At least they had air and space supremacy and that would keep the newly arrived gungan army from trying any creative maneuvres. Still, those catapults of theirs and the shield generators were a gigantic headache. They had to be taken out.

The Kaadu cavalry charge managed to break through the makeshift defence of the klankers. They adopted an arrow formation, the riders using the spears, while the other gungans were shooting forward, left and right, covering each other.

Meanwhile, the rest of the army was advancing slowly, spreading out around the front line in order to block enemy attempts at pincer attacks. Their shields were holding up pretty well against the vulture droids regularly bombing them. Boss Lyonie had learned from the mistakes of the past and made sure to stock up on batteries and ammunition. And he was not the only one to.

The Warchief saw that the droids were sending in more tanks to close the gap, so he used one of Senator Binks's more creative ideas:

A few of the fambaa ammunition wagons turned around and their mahouts pryed open the doors. Seconds later, large spheres of concentrated energy rolled downhill. Their structure was strong enough not to explode when hitting rocks, but when reaching a tank, they knocked them out cold.

 _ **Inside the now ruined capital city of Theed…**_

Commander Craig used an electric baton to destroy the droid before him. In a quick motion, he grabbed its blaster and executed the four other enemies approaching from the side alley. With no time to lose, he gathered his three soldiers and ran the now cleared street towards the next bottleneck, where other remnants were holding up against the onslaught.

The arrival of the Gungan Army forced the damned klankers to redirect their aerial strikes and artillery, thanked be the Force, but they still had to protect the citzens and the palace. No easy task. They were dying with each passing minute.

The clone sergeant opposite of him used a rocket launcher to clear the large enemy force approaching them. In the ensuing destruction, his squad hunted down the stragglers and gathered up as many guns and ammo they could; some even went as far as stealing droid arms to use as rocket launchers and blasters.

Craig immediately took command, ordered four soldiers to check the perimeter for enemies or friendlies, even in the rubble.

" Never seen shit like this before, captain!" the sergeant told Craig as they took a five minute break. Some were drinking water, eating a ration bar or just lying down. They had been under pressure for hours and they weren't done with the cursed fight.

" I know what you mean!" said Craig as he took his helmet off and breathed in deeply. The smelled of charred metal, bodies and buildings was toxic enough for him to put it back on next second. " We've been set up, I'm sure of it!"

" What makes you say that?" the other clone asked.

" They knew where to strike, how to do it, how to keep the pressure and somehow keep us from reinforcements. If those gungans hadn't arrived, we wouldn't be talking now! What's your name, soldier?"

" XR1121 or Xenon. So you're telling me we've got a mole?"

" Of that I'm sure. Who that is or how many there are, I can't tell. But it must be someone with security clearence, way up!"

" You think we've got our own Slick around?"

Ever since the Battle of Christophsis, all clone battalions on the front lines had combed through their ranks, carefully rooting out potential traitors or soldiers who looked like they've had enough. Usually they were sent back to Camino for examination or used in Home Front policing- those outright refusing to obey were sent to prison for insubordonation. However, every halfwit knew that it was impossible to target all such potential problems. And it wasn't just the clones, since other officers in the navy or in the espionage and information departments could very well have switched sides or sold valueble info.

" Not a Slick… but a double-crosser for sure!" answered Craig thoughtfully, trying to reccount any suspicious activity in the last few hours and days; none came to mind at the moment. " Any villain leaves traces and it's a matter of time to find his or hers!" he added.

Sergeant Xenon wanted to reply but a buzzing sound from his helmet stopped him. He picked up the call.

" Yes…yes! On a secondary street, the narrow one 500 meters down from the fountain…yes, we'll hold down the fort!"

" Report, sergeant!" commander Craig stood up and readied his weapon.

" Another group of 14 clones want to regroup with us. Your transmitter's not working and they asked for you!"

" Alright, we'll wait here, then be on our way!" Craig answered him and then turned to the rest. " Alright, brothers! I want all of you to be on the lookout. Once the others get here, we'll go on and ambush the droid groups. One by one, quickly and efficiently, then move before they bomb the spot. Any survivors will be going with us as well. Got it?"

" Sir, yes sir!" the clones shouted as they stood up.

Commander Craig had managed to regroup the scattered groups of surviving clones. The ruins made for good cover against the droids and their tanks that got stuck between rubble- easy prey for a grenade being thrown down their cannons. Meanwhile, the gungan cavalry could be heard in the distance, much to their relief.

" Commander, captain Chi-Gio-Qaaa is hailing us!" one of the lookouts on one of the rooftops shouted.

" I'll be right at it!" Craig answered and, together with two soldiers, ran down the alley where their allies were approaching.

To say that he was impressed by the Kaadu beasts was an understatement! They had broken through all those blockades despite the odds. He might just want to swap their All Terrain Fighters with what the locals had to offer, he thought with a grin.

The gungan captain looked around, his wary eyes taking in the weary figures of the Republic soldiers on the rooftops, taking cover behind walls, trenches and blown out windows; some were relaxing a bit, others were tense as field rats before a storm, while the rest were shaking from the effort. They had been fighting for a long time and under the worst odds. But Boss Lyonie would keep his promise to the Senator and the Queen.

" Commander!" he shouted and Craig stood at attention. " Gungans be proud people! Naboo home to us and humans. No metal klanky-wanky burns city, fields, lakes!" he raised his fists to emphasize. " Them toys ud be steeldust, yes!" he clenched both fists, before letting go and dismounting.

" Our thoughts exactly!" answered Craig with a determined look.

" What you planin, clona boy?"

Craig took the holo-map of the city and its surroundings and put it to good use. The best strategy would be simultaneous hit&run attacks on the droids while they were on the march and stretched thin. With the clones having smaller bodies, they would take up this task, while the gungans would circle around the weaker flank, crush it, then attack the droids from behind.

The plan went off without a hitch. With all the destruction, noises, smoke and the distraction of the gungan army's attack, the enemy didn't see it coming. Six droid columns were drawn into the inner city, where the soldiers gunned them down like rabbits.

In the distant fields, the gungans were getting hammered by the droid aviation and artillery, keeping them from launching any cavalry attacks like the one from before. Moreover, the droid lines were advancing menacingly uphill, trying to pass the force-shield and destroy the generators.

Warchief Ooobut Ganguu turned his steed around, called his advisers and devised a plan.

The first two droid lines managed to get through the shield. Not one second later, they began to spread out and fire. But, at the same time, the Kaadu beasts used their tails wipe them away, group by group with each swing. Other beasts crushed them with their feet or smashed them with their heads. Their mahouts and the rest of the gungans fired their pistols and threw their spears, eliminating the menace.

Another three droid lines met their fate, before a squad of commando droids, tactically hidden in the advancing masses, managed to sneak through to two generators, killing their operators and bombing the devices.

As a result, the enemy artillery picked up the pace and their air support as well. The gungans used their catapults to knock out the tanks, but could do little to the remaining vulture droids. Only if the latter ever got close enough to the ground could they be destroyed with laser orbs, laser spears or blasters.

Two hours later into the disorder, a well known Republic spacecraft entered the atmosphere. Aided by the few remaining X-Fighters and Nabooian Vessels, it began to wipe away the unsuspecting Separatist air force.

The unexpected appearance of _The Twilight_ gave the Republic remnants a giant morale boost. With renewed vigor, they cleared what had remained of the enemy forces inside Theed, while the gungans finally got the upper hand on the battle uphill.

" Master, those were some wicked moves!" called Ahsoka, as she maneuvered the upper gun to blast incoming bogies. The two other clone gunners also did their job and, with Anakin's skills and forward guns, _The Twilight_ was a flying, marauding fortress.

" You too, Snips! Playing the rear seat against the Malevolance sharpened your eyes!" as two more triangle droids were blasted away. "And your trigger finger!" he added laughing.

As they had entered the Naboo system, Anakin did not like the feeling he was getting. The space around the planet was a gigantic graveyard, with some only the lasers of the surviving crafts lighting up in green, red and blue. Ship parts, some bodies and body parts… a gigantic Dark Side emanation from all the death there. But it was the surface of Naboo that was being scorched, so he entered battle as quickly as possible. He did not expect to find the beautiful planet of his wife being tortured like that. Its fields and hills blackened from lasers, quite a few lakes and rivers had been evaporated and the capital city of Theed lay in ruins.

Smoke was rising above the rubble that the Separatists left behind. He ordered his clone copilot to scan the battlefield for stragglers, which he proceded to blast away, clearing himself a landing spot just outside the walls.

He was greeted by a clone trooper that looked like he met the Devil and lived to tell the tale. Actually, as other survivors slowly rose from the rubble, ashes and ruins, he was not the only one like that.

The smell was burning his lungs and stinging his eyes. Ahsoka fell in line behind him, as they were being led throughout what remained of Theed.

He couldn't help but look around as they progressed. Each building brought back a different memory from him. A souvenir shop Padme had shown him to as he was a child, a funfair and a park where master Kenobi, then only a padawan, had taken him to after the battle… or the clothes shops where he was getting his undercover threads when he was visiting his wife… Padme!

She would be devasted when she'd see all this chaos and tragedy here. He would have to be there for her, despite all the secrecy; he felt it was the right thing to do. Maybe pass it off as a friend's worry.

In the distance, the palace was one of the few, taller buildings somehow standing. Everything on the way there either lacked a roof, a wall or was just a heap of nothing.

The gungan captain bowed as the two jedi entered the palace. On the other side of what had yesterday been a beautiful ball room stood the queen, flanked by a couple of banged up clone troopers. Speaking of clone troopers, commander Craig was being treated on a makeshift operating table by a medical droid.

Anakin and Ahsoka were greeted with a forced smile from their friend.

" We… we did it, general!" he spoke with difficulty. " We defended Naboo; the Queen is safe!"

It was Ahsoka that noticed Craig was missing a leg. His gaze followed hers and he sighed, before gritting his teeth in desperation.

" Mark and Sharp… and the elites d-died defending her majesty! My…b-brothers gave their lives!" he spoke up, ignoring the pain and the shock. " Least I could give is my kriffing left leg!"

Both jedi closed their eyes in silent commemoration of the fallen ones. So did the rest of the room.

" What's the casualty report?" Anakin asked for the protocol, which a recently promoted sergeant gave.

" Of all 3600 clone troopers active on the ground, just about one hundred made it alive and that is counting the wounded. Many are missing and we don't have a number on what's in space." He tried to steel himself as he answered his superior.

" I've seen what's above: a giant graveyard. Whatever fighters I could contact are still above us hunting stragglers!"

"… and then there's the local militia force. Preliminary reports and what the citzens told us only two hundred survived, most of which fell back to defend the helpless. The others died with us."

" And Naboo, the Republic and the Jedi shall honour their sacrifice and their memory!" Anakin bowed to them, then to queen Jamilla.

Some more formalities were spoken until it hit them. Nelo, Erladin and the high command of the battalion haven't given them a sign since the battle began. And if what the jedi knight said was true, then…they were probably dead, somewhere above them.

Anakin and Ahsoka went on to prepare their report for the Council and the GRA HQ, before making their way to the ship, flanked by Rex's men.

" Hey, weren't we supposed to just inspect, not engage or delay?" his padawan mused, thinking on possible consequences.

" Ahsoka, my dear padawan! You must learn to follow what the Force and your conscience tells you. If we had just left, who knows how the whole thing would have ended! Many more lives would have been lost, morale would have been null and who knows what else. Look around you! We should have been here; Nelo, Erladin should have been here! We have to find them!"

" Alright! Let's check out their cruiser then!"

Unbeknowst to them, the cruiser was not a complete graveyard. However, it was the playing ground of a recently released Dark Side beast.

Inanna was more or less dragging a weakened Vandalor after her, despite his protests that he wasn't some broken down puppet.

" Shut up if you want to leave! He's bound to follow us!" she retorted.

" Pff!" his pained face somehow laughed. " Count Dooku'll kill us anyway since we failed. What's the point of running back to him?"

" He won't do that! He's not like Sidious and not like the jedi. He is something more!"

This time the laugh was replaced by a struggling chain of words, barely pieced together by the dying sith acolyte. She frowned at him immediately.

" You think he's your… father or something!" a wicked grin replaced his annoyed expression. " Maybe your sugar daddy, for all I know!"

That was it. She was leaving his rotten corpse right there and then for…for Nelo to maim and kill and drain of whatever life still lingered. She shuddered at the thought of him acting like a tuk'ata beast, drunk on the Dark Side.

She dropped his body on the floor and made to walk away, when it struck her. Vandalor then called out to her, mockingly asking if she changed her mind. She ignored the idiot's voice, thought the matter, coming to the conclusion that if she wanted to reach Nelo, he couldn't be allowed to feed off of the chiss bastard. He would have to either be cut off from the Dark Side or from the Force altogether…or… simply experience _the burnout._ That last idea wassn't so bad. And it's possible that he also pumped his body full of healing packets or stims; bonus to that.

Mustering her determination and courage, Inanna dropped to one knee, grabbed the idiot, put him over her shoulders like a bag of potatoes, then Force Sped towards their remaining vessel.

After half an hour of effort, they were halfway through to one of the last docking tubes. Much to her horror, she couldn't feel Hivaarr anywhere. Neither could Vandalor, weakened as he was.

" What's your plan, Tatooine fashionista?" he asked as they both slumped against a wall to catch their breaths.

The veiled acolyte rolled her eyes in annoyance and replied:

" Retreating to Cato Neimoidia, getting you patched up, reporting to Dooku, fight again. What's with the nickname?" she asked, genuienly curious.

" Saato. Your bickering amuses me!" he tried to laugh, yet his chest wound hindered him. With a hiss, he went on. " You know" he said as he looked at the wall in front of him and at the corridor. " knocking on death's door gives you a hell of a new perspective."

Inanna had her left hand grabbed and squeezed by her partner in crime.

" What's that between you and him? Why do you hesitate or, better yet, why do you love him, a jedi?" he asked in between deep breaths.

" I… don't know! In the beginning it looked like the Force, in its irony, paired us up. He got my attention on Geonosis and we've met a few times, mostly during or between battles. He always was able to warm my heart and cool my soul. You've loved someone; you still love her in your memories, you know how it is, how it feels!"

" True!" he acknowledged.

" And we doing this…it felt so… right at the beginning. I thought he'd be like us, you know? A pair of deadly sith, poster boy and girl of the CIS?" she managed a struggled smile. " But it's all gone now. We messed up; big time! I only hope I can beat some sense into him and get my padawan back!"

They heard noises coming from the far away end of the corridor and they immediately stood up. All of Inanna's hairs also stood up.

" There's your love, heh! Guess… I'll be joining my beloved Sen in hell!" he said, just as a voice made itself known to them. A rasped voice with a tinge of sadness, coming from a cursed padawan approaching them.

" _This ship will be your grave… our grave! Hahahaha! Feel the true power of the Dark Side!_

 **Author's note:**

 _ **Credits go to LucasArts for the Star Wars Universum**_

 _ **No music piece for you this time :**_

 _ **Rate, follow and review, so that my motivation for updating this as quickly as possible remains. Suggestions, curses, reprimands are welcome, yeeees!**_

 _ **Until next time!**_

 _ **May ze Force be with you!**_


	33. CH34: Demons and Stowaways

**CH34: Demons and Stowaways**

 **[song suggestion: Dynatron-Song of Saturn]**

 _Aboard the damaged Republic Flagship orbiting Naboo…_

Inanna jumped to her feet, while Vandalor dragged himself upright, using the wall for support. She put herself in front of him, a very jedi-like trait, he thought, but he didn't complain aloud. Wounds like the ones he'd got didn't leave one too brave, that was sure.

The steps were getting closer and the tension was high in the air. The Dark Side was filling every meter of the room, enveloping them in a blanket of foreboding doom. Somebody was going to die, blood was going to be spilled and souls sent into the abyss. _**It**_ always asks for a tribute, for a sacrifice to be made. The only question was who or what that might be.

Inanna activated her lightsaber. No matter what, she would not die here today. She pulled herself out of that misery of a life back on Tatooine and would not sit by and take a blade to the heart from anybody; not even _him._

Vandalor felt his head was bumping and he took a few more steps towards Inanna to see what was going on. He had a deathgrip on his lightsaber and his palms were sweating rivers; not to mention his body. The effort was killing him…literally.

The steps were getting closer and the padawan was muttering some half-crazy stuff about how divine justice would be passed on them for what they did.

The Dark Side is a pathway to many abilities that most would consider unnatural. Combine that with creativity and a deep desire for revenge and the results could be frightening. And the two acolytes forgot that.

Inanna took a few more steps forward, adopting a defensive posture. Her senses were stretched out like a spider's webbing.

However, neithe of them took notice of the ventilation shaft above them, whose door was silently opened. Slowly, and without a sound, a maniac Nelo, with a face face straight out of a horror fic, descended heads down behind them, his lightsaber unlit. He was holding himself upside-down with his legs, while smirking evily.

He had to be careful about splitting his Force Energy into two and hiding his Force signature at the same time; it was working, the plan was perfect.

He looked at her, all determined to fight to the death and even protect that scumbag of a chiss. How touching. She may just have been good padawan material. An hour ago or so, they may have been happy together if she helped him stop the madness, but no! She chose to allow all to go on! To obey Dooku's orders over him and her. It was _**she**_ who __pulled him into all of this with no second thought.

Well, two could play that game! He wasn't having second thoughts about this, in any case! The quick death in a swing would be his biggest mercy. He had to wait for the right second to strike…

Inanna lit her lightsaber and toughened up. She could see Nelo's shadow on the floor at the end of the corridor. He would be upon them soon. She could feel it.

The shadow quickly gave way to a… _clone's body_ , all shot and bloody, moving towards them with a _recorder_ and _loudspeaker_ , of all things. The body was sluggish and it didn't stop approaching them.

" I will paint this ship with your blood! I will rip your tongues while you're still breathing and I promise to cut all your limbs…one…by…one!" Hivaarr's ominous voice bellowed.

" Is this a fracking joke?" Vandalor whispered.

Inanna felt chills as icy as Hoth run down her spine watching the scene before her. It was no ordinary trick. That there was Body Puppet, a Sith Magic spell she'd heard about from Count Dooku. Supposedly, only Sith Lords and Warlocks from the Old Republic knew of it.

" It's no joke, numbskull! This is real and bad, very, very bad! Be on your guard! I feel we have to get out of here!" she answered dead serious, eyes back one the menace.

Vandalor felt the Force abandoning him. The air was pressing on his damaged lungs and his body was giving up on him. Clenching his teeth, closing his eyes to numb the pain, he took a few steps back and bumped into something…

Something cylindrical and metallic…

The chiss's sudden intake of air was the only warning Inanna got, before a lightsaber activated behind her. Luckily, she threw herself forward, avoiding the deadly swing that had split Vandalor in two by the torso.

However, that didn't stop the clone's animated body from detonating itself with a grenade. The armor and the Force mitigated the damage, yet the acolyte felt her skin was on fire, just like her robe. She discarded the piece of cloth, revealing her armored body and keeping the mask only.

She turned her head towards him, taking in how he skewered what was left of Vandalor, the blood spraying across the walls of the corridor like an ominous painting. His eyes were the starkest of golden colours, but if he kept on like this, he might even reach the terrifying red eyes of sith lords. She prayed to the Dark Side that it wouldn't happen.

Inanna rose and ignited her lightsaber. He had to be dealt with.

Nelo grinned. Finally, they were alone, no interruptions whatsoever. Change of plans: play with her, show her true fear, then end her trechearous life!

He reached out with his hand, sending the remaining acolyte into the faraway wall. Next, he charged head on, his lightsaber in a wide, horizontal arc aimed at her chest.

Inanna clenched her teeth, dark energy and adrenaline pumping through her body at max capacity, enabling her to sidestep the killer blow. She parried the next two strikes, then planted a Force Kick into Nelo's stomach, sending him flying. Not relenting, she pressed on with a Force Fist to his lungs, depriving him of air. Roaring like a mad beast herself, she aimed to pierce his heart.

" _**Do you still love her? You keep going easy on her, finding stupid excuses, but the sad truth is… you're weak! Your mercy, regrets and 'honour' HOLD YOU BACK!"**_ _Darth Zannah howled at him from the depths of his inner gate._

 _He didn't answer to those accusations. He knew them to be true. He also knew that if he killed her, his soul might be damned forever- if it wasn't already. He felt lethargic, nigh dead in spirit and body, somehow. But if he was more of a metaphorical drug-junkie now, then who was battling Inanna out there?_

 _Was this who he really was? Could be. He wasn't sure. He can barely remember opening the 'gate', imprisoning the blond sith lord. Maybe he had split personality. All around him, a greyish, murky, watery universe danced in hypnotizing waves. If he stopped swimming in it, he felt he'd drown. If he watched it too long, he felt the lethargy and nihilism grow worse._

' _Is it normal to see yourself in 3_ _rd_ _person?' he asked himself as a sort of window opened up in front of his eyes, allowing him to witness his body move the now corrupted lightsaber to parry Inanna's own piercing attack. It was aimed at his heart. He could see her determined face, even masked. Her effort, her concentration, if marred by the Dark Rage. Was he using Dark Rage still? He couldn't tell. And he wasn't told…or shown._

The parry was followed by an attempt to push her weapon to the ground, then cut off her hands, but Nelo underestimated her cunning. She threw herself at him, left elbow smacking him in the face, while a nasty kick landed on his right side.

When he tried to riposte, she dropped to the ground, swiped his legs from beneath him, then tried using a Force Kick on his downed figure.

Unfortunately for her, the beast that was Nelo Hivaarr had sharp instincts. His body rolled to the side and in the moment it took her to gain balance, he jumped a few meters back, standing upright.

" Don't you just _love_ to dance, my love?" the former padawan laughed mirthlessly. He jumped at her, launching a series of quick, short strikes, so unusual of himself.

" While I do love to dance, I don't like animals!" she answered between gritted teeth. She wanted it to come out as an insult, but it barely fazed him. If anything, the evil Nelo just grinned.

After exchanging ten more minutes of brutal blows, they took distance from one another, catching their breath. Much to her annoyance, her transmitter started beeping. It was the frequency used by the C.I.S. dreadnaught connected to this failing Republic Cruiser. She spared it a blick, then quickly turned her eyes back on the target, spotting Nelo watching her wrist with a curious glance.

" Go on!" he beckoned, deactivating his lightsaber. " It seems to be important!" he made up an interested face.

Throwing him a suspicious look, she retracted her lightsaber and pushed the button. Save for the occasional creak and burst of electricity, the dead ship was silent.

" _Mistress, our forces on the planet have encountered severe resistence and are being destroyed as we speak. We cannot evacuate any of them. Knight Skywalker's ship has been spotted shooting down our fighters and the gungans have engaged."_

" What's the status of the Malevolance?" she asked, throwing Nelo a cautious look.

" _Destroyed. Because of radio silence, we couldn't inform you! We have to retreat."_ The alarmed droid's synthetic voice shouted.

She actually pondered if there was any chance to bombard Naboo and even the odds, but, on a second though, she didn't want to commit a genocide, let alone an unsanctioned one. What if she was the one down there and no those people? There was no honour in orbital onslaught! Plus, if she lingered any longer, the Republic Fleet might catch her dwindling forces on the wrong foot. Better to go back to Count Dooku on Cato Neimoidia and regroup. Should any enemies follow them, the planet's defences would take care of them.

" I agree. Make preparations. Retreat all flyers, power up the shields and disengage. Order all vessels to make a move back to the base. I'll join you as quick as I can!"

Her eyes caught Nelo activating his weapon. Her eyes widened even more when he also holstered Saato's weapon and entered a more primitive form of Jar'Kai.

With Skywalker not that far away behind, she didn't want to be caught in the middle. Plus, if she was back on her ship, she'd have the advantage of friendly ground…space, whatever.

In a way uncharacteristic of her, she broke into a Force aided run through the corridors and towards the closest docking tube. When she looked behind, she spotted Nelo taking another turn. It took her a few seconds to realise, but she avoided the first tube just in time to see it being detonated, the emergency shields quickly closing the gap.

" Did you like that, my dear?" his ominous voice made itself heard on the corridors. " Like what you've unleashed?" he laughed. " You won't leave this ship alive, that's for sure. Not even Anakin arriving would save your worthless life!"

 _Worthless life? Who was he to judge? What right did he have? He had no idea what she went through to get where she was now!_ She was revolted by what he said, yet in a moment of clarity she understood he wanted her to slip and make mistakes. Oh no! He'd have to hunt for his prey. And he'd find his prey has sharp teeth and claws too.

Another couple of explosions rocked that side of the ship. Two other tubes were blown up, which left her with only one more. Blaster fire could be heard coming from that direction.

" Commander, have all droid units and especially droidekas at point XR 2 of our ship. I need backup to escape!" she wrote into her transmitter. Nelo won't know of it until it was too late.

She made haste, her eyes scanning her surroundings for any traps but she couldn't see or sense any…for now. Ten minutes later, she managed to reach the tube.

Just as she thought, Nelo was just about to finish off the stragglers of her rear guard. No matter. They would be enough.

Inanna picked up the pace, ran along the wall to the right, jumped on the one to the left, then over the battle and behind friendly lines. She didn't look back as a row of droidekas boarded the Republic ship to cover her and possibly take him out. It was too late for regrets.

The tube closed behind her and she dettached it, effectively cutting off the last bridge between the two vessels.

However, one should never underestimate the power of the Dark Side or the cunning of its users! Especially those hellbent on revenge.

Nelo Hivaarr threw his lightsaber at the seven klankers that remained. He saw that Inanna walked away from the battle, sending her lackeys to hold him off. Well, eight droidekas were a piece of cake compared to a Dark Acolytes. The problem was that the wench took out the tube, meaning he had to act quick to board her ship before it jumped to hyperspace.

He ducked, then jumped on top of a droid's shield, struck his hand through, not caring about the pain, then activated his lightsaber. He repeated the technique a few more times, then dispatched of the rest with a powerful Force Push, crushing them against a faraway wall.

" _All units to their posts. We will be jumping to hyperspace in T minus five minutes!"_ he could hear over one of the transmitters.

Smirking, he removed it from the husk's arm, attached it to his own, then ran to the closest airlock. He made a quick check on his armor. Scorched in a few spots, battered in others, it would have to do. The only additon was a clone helmet he saw lying next to a body… Jeff's body. He took a moment to mourn him, closing the clone's eyes in respect, then put the helmet on.

Opening the airlock, he passed right through, the doors closing behind him. He could feel the gigantic pressure of many forces pulling and pushing him. It was no good idea to be caught between two ships and a planet, that was sure.

The Force Rage acted similarly to his Force Protect, shielding him and allowing him to move. He swam through space, his sharp eyes looking for a way to board the cursed thing. Time was running out and he made an effort to get as close as possible.

Then the Force was with him yet again on that cursed day. Two weapon maintenance droids were headed to a point one story above him. How haven't they seen him?

 _Heh! They must think I'm a dead clone floating in space. Their stupidity, I guess!_

Brushing the thought aside, he made the effort of reaching out with the Force to pull himself closer and closer to the same point. It felt like climbing a mountaint, just like the trials at the Temple.

His efforts were rewarded when he reached the access-port. The droids were about to close it, but he put them out of comission, throwing them out into space.

 _Now I'll get to crash their party. Wonder what they're hiding on Neimoidia?_ He thought with a mixture of curiousity and malice. He had to find a place to lay low, regain energy and wait until the right moment…

 **Disclaimer:**

 _ **All rights for Star Wars belong to LucasArts (I refuse to acknowledge Dysney's takeover**_ __ _ **)**_

 _ **As for the music, check Dynatron. He's got some neat S.F. tracks on youtube.**_

 _ **Don't forget to subscribe and review. It keeps my enthusiasm going.**_


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